


Simple Things, Honest Souls

by HopeOfMorning910



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action/Adventure, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/F, Families of Choice, Faunus Ruby, Fic that focuses on the growth of RWBY’s platonic relationships before all else, Friends to family, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Lots and lots of bonding and character interactions, Love, Medieval Fantasy AU, Realistic Character Development, Selectively Mute Ruby, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Strangers to Friends, Tags and Relationship Tags will be added as they become relevant, Team as Family, blake won’t show up until later, character driven, possible eventual romance, warmth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-06-05
Packaged: 2019-11-16 01:11:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 148,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18084542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HopeOfMorning910/pseuds/HopeOfMorning910
Summary: When a humble huntress stumbles across a runaway noble in need of help, she and her older sister are thrust onto the adventure of a lifetime. A Medieval Fantasy AU featuring a Faunus Ruby that explores and celebrates team RWBY's journey from strangers to friends to a fire-forged family. Character-driven with Friendship, Drama, Action, Warmth, and Love.ORRuby Rose, a young wolf Faunus, has her own share of nightmares and struggles due to growing up in the province of Atlas where anti-Faunus sentiment has been increasing over the years. Yang Xiao Long, Ruby’s older sister, only wants to keep her baby sister safe and healthy. Weiss Schnee, a runaway noble, seeks to escape her father’s despotism and restore the family honor. When chance brings the three together, they set out on a life-changing journey full of adventure, trials, and new encounters all along the way.





	1. The Past and Present

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by other great RWBY FanFiction works, namely Winds of War by Arieko, The White Rose of Vermillion by Kuribayashi, Through Her Eyes by Peroth, and Gladiator by DevilRed03.
> 
> This story takes it time, but I hope it’s a journey you come to enjoy as we sometimes run, sometimes walk, sometimes meander our way along. Thank you so much for dropping by to check it out. :)

It was a relatively warm, early autumn afternoon. The riverside was quiet with no predators to be seen, so the water's surface was teeming with various waterfowl, some peacefully floating along minding their own business, while others foraged for food or groomed their feathers. Swans were rare this far up the river, but ducks and the occasional geese were common enough, especially during the migratory seasons. Unfortunately, they were not as safe as they believed. Their only warning was a strange whirring-whoosh sound. Something flew out from the treeline and struck one of their number hard and fast. The water's surface exploded into a flurry of panicked wings and feathers as every bird in the area tried to take flight. Not all of them were fast enough, however, for another two of their companions were knocked out of the air before the rest of them managed their escape.

As the last few birds flapped out of reach, a slender, almost dainty figure stepped out of the trees. Had anyone been watching the girl—a young woman really—they would have been surprised to see her with her hood down, for everyone who lived in Patch knew the girl never ventured into public without it, not since what had happened nearly six years ago. In fact, the people of Patch would be surprised to see her at all. She rarely visited the village for any reason and if she did, it was only in the shadow her far more noticable older sister or scruffy uncle. While the people of Patch might not see the girl very often anymore, they all remembered her name, some out of guilt while others out of shock. Her name was Ruby Rose.

If any of the villagers were to see her today with her hood down, they'd be shocked to see how well she'd grown. Her face hadn't quite shed the roundness of adolescence, but the rest of her figure had filled out quite modestly, though most would guess she still had a little more growing to do. She would never share her sister's much bustier figure, but she was lovely all the same. However, what would have drawn most eyes to her was not her figure but her hair and eyes. Her hair started out black only to bleed into a brilliant crimson at the tips, as though each strand had been steeped in rose petals, causing her fair skin to look even paler than it was and giving the girl a sense of fragility that belied her well-worn, masculine hunting attire. Her eyes were just as unusual. They were not merely grey, but the silver of polished metal.

If an observer managed to get past her unique hair and eyes, only then would they notice that the girl wasn't human. With her hood down, it was obvious that she had a pair of pointed, darkly furred wolf ears sitting atop her head. If the girl had done away with her hooded cloak entirely, most would also notice she had a beautiful, richly furred tail as well. No, Ruby Rose was not human; she was a wolf Faunus and by all accounts, the spitting image of her mother, the late Summer Rose.

No one quite remembered where the Faunus came from, but it was generally agreed that they had been around as long as humans if not longer. The Faunus outwardly resembled humans except for several key differences. One, every Faunus had at least one visible animal trait or skill, be they a pair of antlers or a tail. The rarest of Faunus might have more than one visible trait, but they were the exception rather than the norm. Otherwise, all Faunus had superior night vision, hearing, and smell when compared to the average human. Some Faunus were even blessed with greater agility or strength, depending on what animal they shared their traits with.

In the Ruby's case, her wolf Faunus traits granted her far greater stamina than most people she knew, which gave her an edge in hunting. She could jog for hours without tiring, allowing her to travel beyond the areas used by the other handful of villagers who supplemented their income through hunting. In short, she didn't have to compete with the others to find good places to set fish traps or animal snares in areas that were already suffering from overhunting, because unless they were willing to camp outside the relative safety of the village palisades, they were limited to the distance they could travel out and back again in a day. It was one of the few things Ruby was truly proud of. While other hunters might go several days without having anything to show for their efforts, Ruby always managed to bring something back, usually several somethings, whether through hunting, snares, traps, or foraging. It meant she had to spend quite a bit of lien on ice Dust to keep the meat fresh before her sister, Yang, could bring it to the village to be sold (assuming she didn't use it to make jerky, of course), but it allowed she and her sister to eke out a fairly steady income with enough surplus that they could afford to eat meat a little more often than she knew others did.

Ruby put away the sling she had used to hunt the waterfowl with, stripped off her cloak, gloves, and boots, and rolled up the legs of her trousers as high as they would go. As always, the sight of the myriad of scars scattered up and down her pale skin brought storm clouds to her silver eyes and a grimace to her mouth, but she gave herself a shake before her thoughts dragged her down into the darker recesses of her mind. She forced herself to the present and waded into the river to retrieve the three ducks she had managed to strike down.

One of the birds had died instantly, but the other two were still alive when she reached them. One was in shock from its broken wing and the other had a broken neck. The girl pulled out her hunting knife and quickly put the poor creatures out of their misery before heading back to shore.

This was why she didn't like using a sling for hunting. She just wasn't as good with a sling as she was with her bow. Sure, she could hit nearly any target, but it was harder for her to aim for specific places to minimize the suffering of her prey. She could hit an animal reliably in the throat or head with her bow, but doing so with a sling was more a matter of luck than skill. Today however, she hadn't felt like taking the risk of losing arrows to the river and so had decided to use her sling. It was much easier to spend a morning down by the riverbend looking for the right sized rocks than to spend days making new arrows after all.

When Ruby reached the shore, she hung each of the birds from a low hanging branch with a couple of rawhide ties to let gravity drain the carcasses of blood. Some hunters would wait until they got home or to market before they started dressing their kills, but Ruby always preferred to do the messy business in the field so that she could stop by the river on the way back to wash up before heading home. As she waited, she fixed her trouser legs, slipped her boots back on, and then rolled up her sleeves, trying her best to ignore the scars that littered those limbs as well.

When each of the birds had been plucked and drained, she deftly began the process of removing the entrails, putting aside the edible parts into a wooden bowl she had pulled out of her knapsack and placing the rest aside to dispose of later. When she was finished, she carefully washed each of the birds and the edible organ meats that she'd put aside, dried them all as best she could, and slipped them into her special ice Dust-infused sack to keep them fresh on the way home. She then set about to clean up the area.

Ruby took the inedible entrails and buried them, using the small shovel she always brought along for times like these. She didn't bother cleaning up all the feathers, but she did sort through the largest of them to see if any of them could be used for fletching. Duck feathers weren't as good as goose or turkey feathers, but she'd manage nonetheless. Anything to save money so that her sister didn't have to work so hard. After packing away what feathers she thought she could use, she went over to where she had bled the birds and overturned the bloodied earth several times before covering it all with fresh dirt.

When the area was as clean as she could make it, Ruby slipped her cloak back over her shoulders, pulled up her hood, and shrugged on her knapsack. She threw the sack with her kills over her shoulder, grabbed her bow and quiver from where she had left them earlier, and began the trek home.

If she hurried, maybe she could have supper ready for when her sister, Yang, came home. They had some leftover bread, and she could use the smallest of the ducks she had brought down to make enough stew for tonight and the next morning. Yang would be happy about that; she loved meat, and they'd been eating rather frugally of late in order to save up supplies for winter. Hunting had been going well of late and her sister deserved a surprise treat. The thought brought a small smile to Ruby's face and a spring to her step.

* * *

"Unhand me, you lout!"

"Milady, please, be reasonable. Your father has been worried sick about you and even sent messengers all across the province with orders to see you returned home safely."

"He cares nothing about me. He's only worried that he'll lose yet another tool he could use and manipulate for the sake of his ambitions."

"Be as that may, we have orders, milady. Please do not judge us too harshly for this."

"Don't come any closer!"

"Milady, put that down before someone gets hurt!"

"I will not go back!"

Ruby flinched as the distant argument escalated and the young woman suddenly shrieked. A wave of sympathetic fear swamped over the hooded girl. Her blood ran cold and a shiver shot down her spine. Her stomach roiled as dark memories reached up with icy claws to clench her chest. They tore into the forefront her mind, ripping through the barriers Ruby used to lock the dark thoughts away. The voices of her nightmares snaked their way into the present, sounding as though they were right next to her, their words dripping with hate-filled poison.

" _Look at her. She's whining like the filthy little animal she is."_

Again, the men's laughter rang jarringly in her ears. _No, not again_ , Ruby thought as the fine autumn afternoon faded from view and was replaced by that cold, dark evening in the forest. She swallowed, hoping the action would bring her back to the present, but it wasn't working. She was fading fast. She tried to breathe, flex her hands, anything, but every muscle in her body had frozen as that vividly remembered, visceral fear slammed into her. She couldn't even whimper or scream. Ever since that night, not a word had crossed her lips.

" _You think crying's gonna save you? You're just a mutt, an animal. No one cares if you disappear." She tried to run again, but he grabbed her tail and yanked her off her feet. She hit the ground hard, leaving her stunned._

_Another hand grabbed her roughly by the throat and jerked her up until she hung suspended above the ground. The sour smell of stale alcohol invaded her sensitive nostrils before her airway was blocked entirely by a roughly tightening hand. A voice filled with loathing whispered into her ear as she choked. "It's because your kind exists that my brother is dead. I hope you die as slowly and painfully as he did. Do you know how you animals killed him? You trapped him in a mine and blew up the entrance. They'll never find the bodies. He was just doing his job, and you animals murdered him for it. I'm gonna enjoy making you suffer just like he did._

" _Scream, you little animal. No one's gonna hear you out here. No one's gonna save you."_

Ruby jerked and slammed herself into the nearest tree in desperation. She didn't want to relive what came next. She had to relive those moments often enough in her worst nightmares; she didn't want to have to relive them now during the day. It worked. The pain radiating from her shoulder grounded her, bringing her back into the present. Sweat and tears burned her eyes as she lost her battle with her stomach. Her meager midday snack of dried rabbit jerky forced its way back up, and she spend a good few minutes vomiting until not even stomach acid came out.

When the nausea had run its course, Ruby dragged herself away from her mess and put her back against a tree. She swiped roughly at her streaming eyes and sniffled hard. She leaned her head back and focused on breathing steadily. With every ounce of will she could still summon, she fought to push away the creeping darkness threatening the edges of her vision. She managed, just barely.

She fumbled with her knapsack and pulled out her canteen with shaking hands. It took her a few tries to remove the cork stopper. She brought the canteen to her quivering lips, took a mouthful, swished the cool water around in her mouth, and spat it out. She did the same with the next mouthful. The third, she swallowed to soothe her burning throat. She drizzled a little bit more of the water onto a handkerchief and wiped down her eyes, nose, and mouth as best she could before packing it all away and forcing herself to her feet.

Her legs trembled as she stood, and she was forced to put a hand against the nearest tree for support. She could feel the uneven roughness of the bark even through her leather gloves. It helped ground her even more. She gave a soft, voiceless sigh.

That had been bad. She had thought she was getting better; she hadn't had an actual flashback in over a month, but apparently they had only been waiting for her to relax to come roaring back like a monster lying in wait. Tears stung her eyes again, and she ground her teeth in frustration. She hated this, that she could be doing just fine—having a good day even—and then suddenly one little thing would send her back into the soul-staining mire of her worst nightmares. Not only would her mood drop for the rest of the day or night, but they were exhausting. Nightmares, more often than not, sent her bolting awake in bed, unable to fall asleep again until near dawn, if even then, and flashbacks could go one of two ways. Some days the flashbacks caused all her muscles to seize like today, frozen in fear and unable to breathe. Other times, her flashbacks sent her heart racing and lungs gasping as she was forced to relive the sensations of their knives cutting into her skin and their hands pinning her to the ground. Either way, every flashback was both physically and emotionally taxing on her, leaving her drained, fatigued, and strained for the rest of the day.

She closed her eyes and swiveled her lupine ears. The voices were coming from the north, towards the road, maybe a two or three minute jog if she moved fast. It was times like these Ruby was glad of her Faunus heritage. It was a three minute trip for her, but she knew it would take a human much longer to traverse the same distance.

Ruby squared her shoulders and resettled her pack so that it rested more comfortably before breaking into a mile eating jog. No one had been there to save her that time in the woods. No matter how loudly she had screamed or how hard she had cried, no one had come. But this time, _she_ was here and she was far from helpless. If some innocent needed help, then Ruby would take on that mantle. She had her bow, she had her sling, and if worst came to worst, she had the sword her Uncle Qrow had given her and trained her to use. He never again wanted his niece to be caught somewhere without a means to protect herself and in his mind, a hunting knife just wasn't good enough—an opinion that her older sister, Yang, had wholeheartedly supported.

Personally, Ruby felt safer with it as well. It wasn't huge; her uncle had purposely gotten her the shorter, single-edged, slightly curved blade because it was robust enough for her to cut through vegetation and wood if she had to during her forays into the forest, yet also short enough to be easily maneuvered even at close or cramped quarters. Considering she spent most of her time in the forest where there were always obstacles here and there, it had been an apt choice. It drove home to the girl that her uncle had put a lot of thought into the gift and truly cared about her safety. The weight of the weapon at her side made her feel as though her uncle was right there with her, silently protecting her.

The silver whistle that she always wore around her neck was similar but instead, she was being protected by Yang. When it became evident that Ruby's voice might not come back for a long, long time, Yang had gone out and come back with the four-inch, two-holed, metal whistle in hand.

" _Ruby, this is a promise," Yang said as she fastened a sturdy, braided leather cord to the little metal ring one end of the whistle. Her sister wasn't all that good at little things that required a lot of manual dexterity, but she had stubbornly spent a whole evening braiding that cord and an evening several days before that to dye the tips of each cord a different color. Yang left the middle sections of the leather alone so that the colors wouldn't stand out when Ruby was out and about, but the tips that could be slipped beneath Ruby's tunic or shirt were fair game. Yang had explained it all to her._

" _Red for Mom. Black for Uncle Qrow. Yellow for me." Nothing for Dad. Yang was still mad at Dad. They didn't know if he had slipped off that mountain ledge on accident or on purpose, but Yang didn't care. He hadn't been the same after Ruby's mom had left on a Grimm hunt and never came back. It was like a part of him just broke. He started spending more and more time away from the house, leaving his two young daughters to fend for themselves more often than not. Ruby didn't really remember that time, but she had come to realize that maybe the reason Yang stopped caring about Dad was because he had already been gone to her. Whether he was actually alive or not didn't matter because he hadn't been there for them in a long time. It was a thought that made Ruby sad during her more pensive moments._

" _All of us love you, Ruby, and we'll always be here for you. Anytime you feel sad or lonely, you can look at this and remember that," Yang told her as she showed off her handiwork. "Or better yet," she said with a confident smirk, "come get me and I'll tell you again and again and again, as many times as you need me to."_

_Yang slipped the cord around Ruby's neck and watched as Ruby played with it, half in awe at getting such a shiny new toy and half in joy. "I know Uncle Qrow's been on you about talking again, but I don't care about that. Take as long as you need to find your voice and if you never manage to find it again, that's fine, too. It won't change how much we love you. Until then, this can be your voice. If you ever need me, blow that and I'll come running. I promise."_

And she'd kept that promise. The warmth of the memory filled Ruby's heart and chased away the last of the chill that always accompanied her flashbacks. She gripped the little whistle as she darted around trees and hopped over whatever other obstacles the forest laid in her path, taking strength from it as she contemplated what was to come.


	2. A Silent Hero

Weiss Schnee, the second daughter of Lord Jacques Schnee, shrieked in outrage as one of her father's men came up behind her and pinned her arms. Another one of them took advantage of her brief moment of inattention to grab her left forearm and pry Myrtenaster, her mother's rapier and the legacy that was supposed to have been passed down to her eldest daughter, from her grip.

"Unhand me and give that back!" Weiss screamed as she fought to break free from the soldier holding her.

"Settle down, milady, or else we might have to take more drastic measures."

Weiss straightened as best she could and glared. "You wouldn't."

Now that he had her in hand, the leader of the squad (a corporal by the look of the patch on his uniform) dropped any semblance of subservience, and the revolting, noticeably overweight man smirked. "Of course none of us want to, but if we must, we must. It's no secret that Lord Schnee's second daughter can be...less than amiable when things don't go her way. I'm sure he'd understand if we had to be a bit more forceful bringing you back."

"I'll have you stripped of your rank and barred from the Schnee Guards," Weiss threatened as she glowered.

The corporal's face hardened as his smirk faded. "I'd like to see you try, _milady_. Everyone knows that in a few years time, your position as heiress of the Schnee holdings will be revoked in favor of your younger brother, and you'll be married off to some other noble family. You have no power to enforce anything."

He leaned closer, but Weiss refused to flinch or back down, her eyes burning furiously. "If I were you, milady, I'd go home and do as your father says. You should be happy. No matter what happens you'll get to live a life of comfort and ease. All you need to do is bear a child or two and you're set for life, unlike the rest of us who have to work for a living. Don't make my job any harder and just go home, milady. You'll thank me someday." He motioned to the other soldiers. "Tie her up and let's get going. It's still early. If we start now, we can get back to the Schnee Castle in three days."

"Sorry about this, milady," the white and blue uniformed guard holding Weiss muttered in her ear, "but orders are orders."

Another soldier approached with a length of rope, and Weiss felt her short-lived bravado drain away into frustration and hopelessness.

She had been so close to getting away from her father's grasp and now her efforts would be for naught. There was no way she would get another chance to escape; it had been hard enough this time around. Her father would keep her locked up and watched like a hawk until he found some use for her that involved furthering his greedy ambitions. He would marry her off, she'd be trapped for good, and all that was the least of her concerns.

She had heard what he had been discussing behind closed doors. She knew what he was planning and for the sake of the honor of the Schnee name, she couldn't allow his plans to come to fruition. He was _not_ the start of the Schnee family name, and she would not allow him to be the one to dishonor and end it. That was what had given her the courage to finally break away and leave, but she had failed before even truly beginning.

_Winter, I miss you so_ , she thought as she did her best to hold back tears of angry frustration and to ignore the coarse rope being wrapped around her arms so that her limbs were pinned to her torso. Winter, her elder sister of eight years, wouldn't have been caught like this. In fact, her sister had already managed to get out. Somehow, Winter had caught the eye of General James Ironwood, and he had taken her with him to Vytal where the High Council governed and worked to keep the provinces in peace.

Weiss had no idea how her sister was faring since her father had forbidden anyone to communicate with her. The one time Weiss had gotten a letter from her, her father had torn it from her grasp and burned it on the spot. When Weiss tried sending out a letter herself, none of the servants would send it for her in fear of her father's wrath. Klein Sieben, the former Schnee family butler, would have done it, but some sort of disagreement with her father had led to him being fired immediately and thrown out. Weiss hadn't even been given the chance to say goodbye.

That was all her life amounted to, it seemed. Words left unheard. Things left unsaid. Dreams left unfulfilled. At every turn, her father controlled her life, forcing her to go along with his empty family charade while simultaneously preventing her from accomplishing anything she thought was worthwhile.

But no longer.

Weiss still had three days before reaching Schnee Castle. That was three days of opportunities to escape. She just had to be patient and wait for her chance. She could do this. She _had_ to do this.

* * *

In the end, Weiss didn't even need to wait to get her chance. The carriage had barely gone more than a few yards before there were several loud cracking thuds against its wooden frame. A series of panicked shouts arose from outside which were soon accompanied by the sound of drawn steel.

_What's going on_ , Weiss wondered, as the carriage lurched to a halt. _Well, no matter_. Taking advantage of the lull in movement, she tested her restraints, but she made little progress. The bonds were just too tight.

As soon as they had stuck her in this shoddy carriage, the corporal had showed up with another rope which he proceeded to wrap around her wrists and then tied to a nearby handrail. He left the rope short, so short there was barely enough slack for her to rest her bound wrists on her lap

"We can't have you trying to jump out when the carriage stops," he had said to her smugly, almost gleefully in the face of Weiss's obvious anger.

There was more yelling outside, but another series of thuds prevented Weiss from making out any specific words. Cold sweat trickled down between her shoulder blades and her breathing hitched in spite of herself. Her father was notoriously harsh on bandits and outlaws who dared to attack any of his caravans. His greed would allow for nothing less, so it was rare for any Schnee Guards to be attacked as long as they hoisted a flag with the Schnee family crest, which these men were definitely doing. She had seen the blue pennant with the white snowflake insignia before she was forced into the carriage. The only ones with enough gall to attack any Schnee caravans or holdings were the hopelessly stupid or the White Fang, a militant group of Faunus who hated humans for discriminating against them.

The very thought sent a chill down her spine. If it was the White Fang and they found her here, her mission was doomed. There was no way they would let her go once they knew whose daughter she was. The White Fang hated her father for his unscrupulous business ethics and exploitation of their people. Even worse, thanks to her father and his fellow like-minded peers, Faunus rights in the Atlas Province had been diminishing with every passing year. No, the White Fang would not be gentle with her.

Wait, why was it so quiet?

Suddenly, Weiss realized just how helpless she was—just how helpless that misogynistic pig of a man had made her by tying her up like this. Anyone could open the carriage doors and she would be unable to stop them or even protect herself. Her pulse sped up and there was a tremor in her hands that she couldn't quite quell.

Were those...footsteps? Yes—yes, they were.

Weiss fought to keep herself together. Back straight, chin up, don't show any weakness. Don't give them any openings to exploit.

The footsteps stopped and Weiss's breath caught. Silence. And then…

_Knock, knock._

What in Dust's name...Who knocks on a carriage door after attacking its escort?

Someone fumbled about on the other side of the door and then it opened.

There in the carriage opening stood a brown-cloaked figure whose hood was drawn up all the way, hiding their face entirely from view. A strung bow was draped across their torso and a quiver of arrows hung from their left side. There was a short, curved sword hanging from their right.

_They're left-handed like me_ , Weiss couldn't help but notice.

They wore a leather vest over a long-sleeved cotton shirt with leather trousers that were tucked into calf-high boots. A heavy looking belt pouch hung just in front of their scabbard and they had an archer's armguard on their right wrist. Every piece of equipment and clothing the figure wore spoke of long use.

They were armed. They were ragged and dirty. They were _tiny_. Well, not really that tiny, but Weiss was quite sure that this person was smaller than herself, and Weiss considered herself only slightly shorter than average.

Weiss was so surprised that she forgot to school her expression. A Schnee would never be so uncouth as to gape, but she couldn't deny that her mouth had dropped open ever so slightly and her eyes had widened.

However, what was most surprising to her was that this person didn't feel like a threat.

Weiss was no stranger to aggression. She had tasted the physical kind when she was younger whenever she sparred with the castle guards before her father had decided it wasn't proper for young women to learn to fight. If his decision to stop her sword lessons had anything to do with her sister escaping his control, he made no mention of it. And she was well acquainted with non-physical forms of aggression as well, for it was always she who had to weather her father's rages when things didn't go the way he planned now that Winter was no longer around. Thus far, he had never struck her, but he was not above screaming vitriol or slamming his fist against his desk as he railed against whatever had currently earned his ire.

Yes, she knew what aggression felt like and there was none emanating from the person in the carriage doorway.

The person held their hands up, showing Weiss they were empty.

_I am not a threat._

Though Weiss understood the message just fine, she couldn't help but feel uneasy all the same. Who was this person? Why were they here? Why did they attack her captors?

The figure continued to approach Weiss slowly, giving her ample time to stop them. She didn't. Why, even she wasn't quite sure herself, but at the moment, this person had done nothing to threaten her and so she would wait and see.

Finally, the figure was all the way in the carriage and within reaching distance—well, for Weiss, kicking distance anyway. Still entirely silent, the cloaked figure reached out and deftly began untying the ropes binding Weiss's wrists.

Weiss let out an unintentional sigh of relief when the ropes fell away. They had been tight enough to cause discomfort, and she could see red abrasion marks twining around her wrists from when she had tried to loosen the bindings earlier. Pins and needles prickled at her fingers so she flexed her hands a few times to get rid of the feeling.

Her apparent savior gave her a moment before motioning for her to turn around. She did so eagerly and soon the ropes around her arms and torso came undone as well. She was free!

In her excitement, she spun back around rather quickly. Apparently, too quickly. Her savior flinched, and suddenly they were standing as far away from her as possible without actually leaving the confines of the horse-drawn vehicle. Weiss blinked in shock. How did they do that? She didn't even see them move, and were those...rose petals? Where did those come from?

A heavy silence fell over the two of them before Weiss finally cleared her throat and said, "You have my thanks."

There was another long silence before her savior finally gave a jerky nod before turning and leaving the carriage. Weiss hastened to follow after them.

"Wait!" she cried out.

Either they didn't hear her or they were ignoring her because they didn't turn around or stop. To her shock, they were already halfway to the forest even though she had just seen them exit.

A mixture of panic and annoyance filled the young noble. Panic that she was about to be left behind by the only person who seemed to be on her side; annoyance that they had the nerve to ignore her, Weiss Schnee. Then suddenly, her emotions did another flip and she became angry at herself. Who she was didn't matter anymore. She had given it all up the moment she decided to leave, because once her father discovered what she was truly planning to do, he'd disown her and likely ban her from her home. Not that it had even been a home. It had stopped being home the moment Winter and then Klein left, the only people who ever showed her affection anymore.

"Please, wait!" she cried out again, doing her best to swallow her worthless pride.

They weren't stopping. Soon, they'd enter the trees and Weiss would lose sight of them. She couldn't let that happen. Already she had discovered that she was woefully ill-prepared for life outside the castle. She thought she could do it, but she had run herself ragged just trying to get this far and already she had been captured by her father's hounds. She needed assistance, and this person was as good as any.

_Or perhaps the best I could have ever possibly hoped for_ , she thought as she gazed in shock and more than a little awe at all the soldiers lying around the carriage. There was very little—if any—blood, meaning, _they're all just unconscious? How?_ A pained groan from one of the men only further reinforced her supposition.

Weiss gave herself a shake. She could spend all the time in the world wondering later. Right now, she had to retrieve Myrtenaster and, if possible, what little luggage she had managed to sneak out with her, and follow after her mysterious savior before she lost sight of them.

* * *

Weiss had been too slow.

It took her more than a few minutes to figure out where the soldiers had put Myrtenaster and a few moments more to find her luggage. Precious minutes that she needed to follow after the small warrior who had freed her. She had taken too long. Now she was lost, and the person she had tried following was nowhere in sight. All she could see were trees, trees, a shrub, and of course, more trees.

An all too familiar pang radiated out from her chest and against her wishes, her eyes began to sting. She gripped the hilt of Myrtenaster far too tightly and fought the rising urge to scream.

" _Enough, Weiss. You're just a girl."_

Yes, she was just a girl but that didn't mean she was powerless, that she couldn't accomplish anything on her own.

" _Go to your room. This doesn't concern you. Why don't you practice your music? You can perform at the next dinner party. You know how much people love to listen to your voice."_

But the Schnee Dynasty hadn't been founded on music. She loved it, but it wasn't something that could help their people or even the province of Atlas. She wanted to do something real with her life. She knew she had the skills for it; she was her mother's daughter after all. Both she and her sister had inherited the Schnee Glyphs, a Semblance unique to those of their bloodline. Only time would tell if her little brother would show an aptitude for it as well, assuming he ever unlocked his Aura and put enough training in to discover his Semblance. Weiss wasn't fully trained either, of course, but that was her father's fault for alienating his eldest daughter to the point where she left as soon as she could, even if that meant leaving her little sister only partially trained. All Weiss needed was just one chance to prove to everyone she had what it takes.

" _For the last time, no! Don't be foolish! Young women aren't supposed to partake in such pastimes. It's unbecoming. Do you think your future husband would want you if he knew you spent your time swinging a sword around like common soldier? You already have one scar; any more and no one will want you."_

The scar was his fault to begin with. What kind of father orders his men to attack his own daughter again and again to the point where she could barely stand? He'd done it to try to prove to Weiss that there was no way she could hold her own against a real warrior. Well, the joke was on him. He hadn't realized that the reason she could use her family's Semblance was because Winter had unlocked her Aura for her, and Weiss had no intention of informing him. With her Aura unlocked, she could easily outlast a normal warrior, several even. Of course, that had done nothing but further anger him to the point where he ordered his men to keep attacking her even after she had gotten a kill point. He had only called them off when her defensive Aura had faltered, allowing a single lucky blade to break through and slice towards her left eye. She'd carry the scar for life.

The memories of her father's critical, loveless words slammed into her over and over again, belittling her, criticizing her, trying to break her so that she really did believe that she had no value beyond being paraded around like some object.

She was _not_ an object.

Suddenly, her foot got caught on a tree root and she hit the ground, banging her knee hard along the bottom edge of another tree. Weiss hissed at the stinging pain and realized she'd not only bruised her knee, but she was bleeding as well. She tried to get back to her feet, but her injured limb refused to cooperate.

That was when she heard a rustling of leaves nearby. She froze, and then slowly drew Myrtenaster from its sheath. She was not going to go down without a fight.

She waited, straining her ears to see if she could guess which direction the threat would be coming from. She shouldn't have bothered for after a few moments, a familiar cloaked figure stepped out of the trees in front of her.

She nearly sagged with relief. Nearly. It was unbecoming of a Schnee to show weakness in public. Her relief quickly turned to anger at having been surprised and caught in such a shameful display.

"Enjoying the view? If you had an ounce of decency, you'd come over here and help, rather than just stand around and watch," she said acidly. However, even in the midst of anger, Weiss regretted her words immediately, especially when the figure suddenly froze.

_What's wrong with me? At this rate, I'll be no better than my father._

Her harsh words were uncalled for and unjust. So caught up in her inner chastisement that she didn't realize the figure had slowly started moving again until they were nearly to her. Again, Weiss felt anger at being caught off guard but this time, she made an effort to hold her tongue. If she didn't say anything at all, she wouldn't say something she might regret.

With surprisingly strong yet gentle hands, the figure helped Weiss right herself and sat her down on one of the larger roots at the foot of the tree. Weiss frowned at the thought of getting her clothes dirty, but managed to stop herself from complaining. Gloved hands motioned toward Weiss's injured leg. Her brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of the series of incomprehensible hand gestures.

Finally more than a little frustrated, Weiss spat out, "I don't understand. Why don't you just say what you want?"

The figure froze at that and Weiss had the distinct impression that she had said something wrong. She just had no idea as to what. Then, the figure turned to rummage through their knapsack and pulled out a soft-leather pouch. They opened it and showed Weiss its contents. There were several small glass vials that had been carefully packed between thick rolls of cloth and two squat jars that had been equally padded to prevent breakage. It looked like... _a medical kit?_ Had the figure been trying to offer to see to her injuries? Then why didn't they just says so in the first place?

Weiss was feeling decidedly out of her element. Schnees didn't accept help from others. They were strong, superior even. Accepting any sort of assistance, especially in public, was admitting to weakness, and a Schnee couldn't be weak. It simply wasn't allowed. Her father would have left her to her own devices for an injury like this, stating that it was an injury caused by her own foolishness and therefore she should deal with it on her own—that she should take responsibility for her actions like a proper Schnee—as if he didn't have his own personal physician and team of healers waiting on standby in case anything happened to himself or heavens forbid, his only son.

The thought caused a familiar boiling of anger and more out of spite towards her father than logical acceptance that she could use the medical assistance, she straightened her injured limb towards the cloaked figure, silently acquiescing to letting them look at it. Her father was no longer here to control every aspect of her life. She was finally free to make her own decisions, no matter what he might think of them.

The figure went to work immediately and moved closer, clearly examining the wound from beneath their darkened hood.

Meanwhile, Weiss got caught in another torrent of thoughts and anxieties. Just that one movement had hurt her leg more than she expected. What if it was broken? She had never broken a limb before, but she had heard it was rather painful. Her knee was stinging like no tomorrow and seemed to throb with increasing pain with every beat of her heart.

_Stop_ , she told herself, knowing that she was just getting worked up over possibly nothing. It was a bad habit of hers and the main reason why she hated when things didn't go according to plan or caught her by surprise. Such things always filled her with feelings of inadequacy. It was probably why she wasn't always the best with people on a personal level. In a one-on-one conversation, she couldn't predict which way the conversation would go and even the smallest social gaffes on her part filled her with panic. Winter and Klein were the only people in her life who always knew what she meant to say even if she botched it or even worse, let the cold, unfeeling, often overly harsh heiress her father tried to mold her into take over her mouth, making her say things that she always regretted after.

Conversely, she always knew exactly how to act and what to say in front of her father's friends and business partners. Interacting with them was a farce—an exchange of predetermined, meaningless words in a certain order that somehow showed you had class and were of high-breeding—a game of insincere compliments about the expensive food, the lovely venue, and the out of season flowers, mixed in with snide, passive-aggressive remarks if even one hair was out of place. By no means was it easy—one had to keep on their toes to ensure every cutting remark was skillfully overturned so as not to lose face—but as much as she hated it, it was predictable and therefore something she was reasonably good at.

Yet she didn't want to be good at it, something so meaningless and empty. She wanted to do something worthwhile, to be better than what little her father expected her to be—not because it would irritate her father to no end although that did make it ever so alluring in her eyes—but for herself.

Weiss wanted to break away from her shackles, the gilded cage her father fashioned around her to make her believe in her own impotence. She was just a tool to be used; thinking for herself was the height of foolishness. She should just do as she was told and be seen rather than heard. So much of her childhood was devoted to making her believe that there was no other life than the one he presented to her and that she should just be grateful for whatever he gave her.

Well, no longer. Weiss wanted to throw off the crushing sense of worthlessness and self-doubt he had instilled in her over the years. Then maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to discover who she truly was and what she could accomplish because right now, she was nothing and would continue to be nothing if she let herself remain a pawn in her father's power games.

A flash of white caught her eye and Weiss looked up to see a pair of pale hands emerging from their leather gloves. So there was a person under that cloak after all. A young person. With tiny hands. Surprisingly beautiful tiny hands. Who would have thought such a ruggedly clothed individual would have had such fair hands? Calloused to be sure, but still beautiful in their own way. This was the person who had taken out nine armed soldiers all on their own? No man would ever have such dainty hands so her rescuer had to be either a young boy or…a woman?

But that couldn't be right. Women weren't allowed to be warriors in Atlas—not since her father had started using his influence to place other men, who generally agreed women shouldn't be allowed in positions of power, on Atlas's governing council. He had even had the gall to use her mother's death to further his political agenda. She had died from illness, plain and simple, and definitely _not_ because women simply aren't made for the rigors of the battlefield and her mother's insistence to continue wielding Myrtenaster sat at odds with her womanly nature, causing her to tragically pass away before her time. He had started spreading that bit of drivel while Weiss had been recuperating from the injury that he had indirectly caused. By the time she was able to get around without having her face in excruciating pain, she found that her father had taken Myrtenaster and locked it away in his study where she couldn't reach it. That marked the last of her rapier lessons though she had done her best to stay in practice using the poker from the fireplace in her room.

Not privy to Weiss's inner thoughts, the figure gently lifted Weiss's leg with warm hands and used their own knee to prop it up so that it ran parallel to the ground. They pulled out a canteen, removed its stopper, poured some of its contents onto a cloth they pulled out of their med-kit and dabbed at her sluggishly bleeding wound.

And there went Weiss's attempt to hold her tongue.

"Ouch! What are you doing?! That hurts!" she hissed.

She jerked her leg away—or tried to anyway. The figure had a good grip on it and better leverage so all Weiss ended up doing was almost pulling herself off her seat. The figure lifted their head and lightly slapped Weiss's shin, and suddenly Weiss had the strangest impression that she had just been wordlessly scolded. Her face flushed, but she didn't try to pull away again.

Once the figure seemed satisfied that the injury was clean enough, they rinsed their hands with more water from their canteen and pulled out one of the stoppered vials. They uncorked it and held it over the wound. They shifted slightly to face Weiss more directly and held up three fingers. Weiss looked on with a mixture of confusion and frustration that the person under the hood refused to say a word. She watched as the fingers disappeared one by one. When the last had fallen away, The figure grasped her leg securely and let a few drops fall from the vial onto her open wound.

It _hurt._ It was like someone had taken a hot frying pan and pressed it against her open wound. Weiss jerked and let out a muffled screech through clenched teeth. _So that's what the whole finger thing was about. They were counting down so I wouldn't be caught off guard. Except that I still was because they didn't bloody just_ say _what the countdown was supposed to mean._

A few seconds of agony later, the figure took a clean cloth and lightly dabbed at the wound yet again, causing the young noble to jerk sharply in pain. Then they cracked open one of the jars, releasing a cool, mildly minty scent into the air. They dipped a finger into the jar and spread its contents over Weiss's knee. The pain lessened almost instantly, and Weiss's shoulders loosened with relief. Maybe they weren't trying to torture her after all. A few moments later, Weiss's wound was neatly bandaged and the cloaked figure was already packing up their things and shrugging their knapsack back on. White hands disappeared back into those unsightly gloves and the figure rose to their feet.

Wait, were they leaving already? They couldn't do that! Weiss hadn't even explained why she had chased after them in the first place! Plus it was partially their fault that she had gotten hurt. If they had just stopped and listened to her, she wouldn't have been floundering around in the forest and therefore wouldn't have tripped over that stupid tree root.

Weiss struggled to her feet. "Wait! Please. I need your help." She hobbled forward a few steps, determined to grab the figure if they tried to leave without at least hearing her out. Her words were met with utter silence.

The silence stretched. Weiss's heart dropped. And then...the figure shuffled their feet and gave her a jerky nod. Weiss almost couldn't believe it.

The figure shuffled over to where Weiss had left Myrtenaster earlier, and she panicked. "Don't touch that! It's mine!"

They raised their hands instantly and practically leaped away. _If only the guards had been half as obedient,_ Weiss mused as she reached down to pick up her mother's rapier. She checked it over carefully before returning it to her side. The next time she looked up, the figure had Weiss's luggage over their shoulder and was holding out a sturdy looking tree branch.

Weiss stared at it dubiously. Seeing that she didn't know what it was for, the figure mimed limping and used the branch to steady themself. Weiss flushed. She should have been able to guess that. She grabbed it less graciously than she knew she should and took a few practice steps with it. It helped more than she expected, making her feel like an oaf when she realized just how entitled she was acting. Like this, she was no better than her father, acting as though the world owed him so he needn't show anyone a shred of gratitude. He was a Schnee; of course, they were to bend over backwards to suit his every whim.

Weiss knew better—wanted to be better—but why did it seem so...hard? It was just two words of gratitude, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to say them outright. But she had said something like them before, right?—when her savior had freed her from the carriage? Or hadn't she? Now she couldn't remember. If she hadn't, what a horrid person she must seem. Yet before she could properly talk herself into saying something, anything, the figure started walking away much more slowly than they had before. After a good fifteen or so steps, they turned around and looked towards Weiss expectantly.

Well, it didn't seem like they were expecting her to say thanks. Maybe they didn't mind? _Still,_ Weiss thought, _I ought to say something. Eventually. As soon as I get to relative safety._ She hobbled towards the cloaked figure and as soon as it became clear she was coming, they turned and continued walking.


	3. Gold and Red Hospitality

Yang Xiao Long pulled the wooden handcart along behind her, taking the longer but flatter mountain path back to the cabin she and her little sister, Ruby, shared. Had Yang been anyone else, she would have needed the help of at least one, ideally two, other bodies to heave the handcart up the mountain, even taking the flatter trail, but Yang wasn't just anyone. Pulling the cart up the mountain was little more than a mild workout for her. The only reason she was taking the flatter path today was because the cart was a little top heavy and she'd forgotten to bring the ropes she usually used to lash things down with. She'd rather take a longer walk than have to stop and chase after something that had fallen from the cart. Been there, done that, and it had been an annoying experience to say the least.

But once little Ruby had heard the story, her innovative little sister had gone out and faced down a nest of Nightcrawlers, giant Grimm spiders that could range from the size of a small dog to being as large as an Ursa in some cases. Certain Grimm produced materials that survived even if the main body of the Grimm had long dissipated into the shadowy, mist-like smoke all Grimm eventually burst into upon death, Nevermore feathers and Nightcrawler silk, to name a few. Apparently, her little sister had been experimenting with Nightcrawler silk for a while and had finally figured out how to treat it so that it became sticky-free, creating lightweight, high-tensile strength strands that could be woven into rope or a heavy thread. Ruby had even attached these neat little hand-carved wooden hooks to each end of the rope so that Yang didn't have to fuss with tying and untying knots each time she needed to lash stuff down. All she had to do was wind the excess length of rope around something and then slip the hook in place, no pesky knots necessary.

Of course, as an older sister, Yang had to scold Ruby on principle for going off and hunting Grimm alone even if the younger girl had only done so so that the ropes could be a surprise gift. Yang knew Ruby could handle most Grimm threats on her own—they'd been on enough Grimm hunts together for her to know exactly how good her baby sister was at hunting, whether her prey be Grimm or animals—but that didn't stop her from worrying.

Still, her little sis was amazing. Their cabin was filled with little knick-knacks that Ruby had made in her free time, some of which they sold as curiosities to the village folk whenever they needed a little extra money for the month. The village favorite thus far was a small wooden puzzle box. A person had to slide and remove each piece of the puzzle box in a certain order to get to whatever the owner had hidden inside. In the end, it was Renet Keeper who bought the curiosity, and he had villagers lined up at the tavern for days after working hours, each of them trying to figure out how to open the intricate little thing. These days, Renet used it as a fun challenge for travelers passing through. If they could open the box within a certain amount of time, Renet would give them a free meal or free drinks for an hour, whichever the guest picked. Renet had even gone out and purchased a candle clock to keep challenges fair.

Ruby had even made the handcart Yang was using every time she headed into town. All it took was one complaint from Yang about how even though chopping lumber and firewood was a cinch, she couldn't really make any more lien because she could only sell as much as she could carry down the mountain each day, and a week later Ruby had presented her with the handcart, nearly tripling, sometimes quadrupling, their profits. Later on, she'd even made a sled version for the snowy months. Yang was supposed to be the older one, but Ruby was always looking out for her just as much as she looked out for Ruby. Just thinking about it made Yang feel warm inside. She had the best little sister ever.

As Yang made her way closer to home, she sniffed the air and caught the scent of cooking meat. She grinned. Yep, her sister was awesome. Sure, technically Yang was the better cook, but nothing beat coming home after a long day's work and not having to spend an extra hour or so just to get warm food for supper. Usually Yang made supper because she tended to be the first one home but on the days that Yang went into the village, she'd noticed that Ruby tried to beat her home and have food ready and waiting. And today, there would be meat. Most of what Ruby brought home ended up being turned into jerky or sold fresh to the village butcher, but apparently not today. Yang picked up her pace with a spring in her step, at least until she reached the low gate that marked the edge of their property.

Instantly, Yang knew something was not right though it took a moment to figure out exactly what. There was food cooking inside so Ruby was home, yet she hadn't come running out the door or even used her whistle to greet her as she sometimes did if she couldn't walk away from what she was doing. It was like a ritual for the two of them—Ruby's way of saying "welcome home" without words. And there was no way Ruby didn't know Yang was home, not with her Faunus hearing.

Yang opened the gate and pulled her cart over to the shed, her eyes darting over every corner of the property in hopes of figuring out what exactly was amiss. She got her answer the moment she put down the cart handle. The door to their small cabin opened and out stepped her little sister.

A feeling of wrongness came over Yang. Ruby still had her cloak on and her hood pulled up all the way. She never did that unless there were strangers around. Yang's protective instincts went on full alert.

"Ruby?" Yang said softly.

That was when Yang noticed the woman in the doorway behind her. A vaguely familiar woman though she was certain she'd never met her before. She'd remember meeting someone with such icy blue eyes, pale skin, and cascading white hair. The faint scar crossing the woman's eye would have also caught her attention had they met before. Plus, the woman was dressed far too well for their little village of Patch. Even though the woman's bluish-grey skirt and white blouse had clearly seen better days—both were wrinkled and the skirt especially had several visible dirt stains here and there—Yang could tell they were well made with the high quality materials. Yang's eyes darted down to the woman's knee. She was injured? And that bandaging looked like Ruby's work, all neat and precise.

"Do you live here as well?" the stranger asked. "Your companion won't say a word to me. Honestly, it's been difficult to get any sort of answers around here."

The haughty way the other woman spoke instantly rubbed Yang the wrong way.

"My sister doesn't speak," Yang said bitingly, taking no small sense of satisfaction at seeing the aristocratic woman suddenly flush pink.

"Well, how was I supposed to know that?" the woman muttered under her breath.

"By watching and listening," Yang replied, not letting up. "Just because someone can't use words doesn't mean they can't communicate." Ruby drew closer and tugged on Yang's shirt. Yang knew what that meant. _Back off; leave her alone._

Grudgingly, Yang started to change the subject only to stop and look back at Ruby. The girl was practically vibrating with tension. Frowning, Yang took Ruby's elbow, drawing the cloaked girl closer, and shifted her hood just enough to be able to see her expression. Yang's heart fell at what she saw. Wordlessly, she drew the smaller girl into her arms, heedless of the stranger watching them, and hugged her tightly. Ruby stiffened for a moment before burrowing in, pressing her face against Yang's warm shoulder and wrapping her arms around her big sister's lower back.

Yang began rubbing smooth, gentle circles across the girl's tense shoulders and down her spine. If the girl's hood was down, Yang would have also started running her fingers through the girl's short tresses and possibly even scratching along the base of her wolf ears, but seeing as there was a stranger in their midst, Yang had to make do with shoulder and back rubs even though they weren't nearly as effective methods of comforting her sister when she was this distressed.

"Rough day?" Yang murmured so softly that only the Faunus girl in her arms could hear. She got a nod against her shoulder in reply. "Need some quiet time?" Another nod. "Alright then," Yang said as she slowly drew away, "get going. We'll figure everything out when you get back. Take as much time as you need, okay little sis?" Ruby snuggled back against her for a moment more before bounding away, not even bothering with the gate and just leaping over the fence into the forest.

Yang felt a familiar pang of worry as she watched the girl go but knew her sister needed this. Having strangers around always set the younger girl on edge, but she was getting better. Every day she was getting better, and Yang was just so proud of her.

Yang turned to look at the stranger in their doorway who was staring in shock towards the direction her sister had run off to. Realizing she was being watched, the white-haired woman stiffened and raised her chin as though she were trying to seem taller. A pointless endeavor really—Yang stood a good several inches taller than her. Yang watched with amusement as the other woman realized this and looked away.

"Where did your sister go?" she asked after a moment.

Yang deliberated over how much to tell her. Sometimes Ruby could get discouraged or even depressed by how simple things like meeting strangers or visiting the village were extremely difficult for her, and sometimes, just sometimes, knowing that others were aware of her personal deficiencies could make her feel worse. However, Yang was of the mindset that more information was better. If more people understood Ruby's difficulties, they would be less likely to overstress her. Finally, Yang decided to go with the truth for now.

"Ruby doesn't do too well with people, especially strangers. Having you here stressed her out, and she needs some quiet time alone to recenter herself." The strangest look crossed the aristocrat's face. If Yang didn't know better, she'd say the other woman almost looked remorseful, which couldn't be right. Rich people were so full of themselves that they didn't even know the meaning of the word "apology." The look was gone as soon as it had appeared though, so it probably was just Yang's imagination.

"Hm...so her name is Ruby?" the aristocrat started to ask, but Yang interrupted her before she could finish.

"Look, let's do this later, alright? While I'm dying to know who you are and why you're here, Ruby probably has the same questions so we might as well do the heavy discussions when she gets back. And I want to get all this stuff unloaded before it gets dark," Yang said as she gestured to the cart behind her.

"Fair enough," the aristocrat said after a moment.

Yang took that as a sign that it was okay to start ignoring her and get to work. In the meantime, she would ponder just why the woman seemed so familiar.

* * *

Yang was almost starting to get antsy by the time Ruby slipped back into the cabin.

"Ruby!" Yang dropped the ladle she had been using to stir the stew and rushed over to give the younger girl a hug, which was returned without hesitation. Immediately, Yang could tell the girl was feeling a lot calmer. The tension that had been there before had lessened quite a bit and the faint billowing of Ruby's cloak told Yang that a certain wolf Faunus's tail was wagging, albeit slowly.

"Welcome back," Yang told her warmly and got another squeeze in return before the girl pulled away. Yang watched as her sister gave a shy wave to their white-haired guest who had been sitting at the table, watching their sisterly display of affection. Apparently waving wasn't a thing rich people did because the aristocrat returned Ruby's wave with a regal nod of acknowledgement instead.

"Ready to eat?" Yang asked and got a nod in return. Yang went back to the hearth and pulled the stew away from the low burning fire before heading to the pantry to fetch the half-loaf of bread there. By the time she had turned back around, Ruby was already dishing the stew so Yang grabbed a knife and started slicing the bread. Since they had a guest, she figured she ought to go the extra ten yards so she plopped a metal grill over the fire. As it heated, she went back to the pantry to fetch a round of cheese, which she promptly started slicing and layering on the bread. Each slice of bread went onto the grill and a few minutes later, she pulled them off and set them on a platter to carry them to the table.

When she turned around, she found her sister trying to communicate with their guest, who was clearly out of her element. Yang took pity on the aristocrat and said, "She's asking what you want to drink. We've got ale, water, and tea."

"Oh," the woman said with relief. "Tea, please."

As Ruby went to heat the water, Yang sat down at the table. "You've never played the acting game before?" she asked as she handed their guest a spoon.

"The acting game?"

"You know, when you act out something without sound or tools, and the other person has to guess what you're trying to be or do. Like Ruby just now was pretending to take a drink." Yang copied the gesture so their guest could see it again. Comprehension sparked in the other woman's eyes followed by a tinge of pink in her cheeks.

"My father was not much for fun and games," she muttered after a moment.

Yang didn't know how to take that. She and Ruby had always made time for games. Even now, the two of them could be seen challenging each other to this or that just for fun. "Well, now you'll get to practice," she said at last. "Right Ruby?"

The younger girl nodded shyly as she brought a teapot and three mugs to the table. She poured tea into two of the mugs. She turned to Yang and lifted up the teapot with a questioning tilt of her head.

Yang gestured to her sister. "What do you think she's trying to say now?" she asked their guest.

There was a pause and then came hesitantly, "She's asking...if you would like tea as well?"

"Got it in one. We'll make an acting game champ out of you yet, Princess."

The woman stiffend. "Don't call me that!"

Yang just grinned unrepentantly, causing the other woman to give an annoyed huff.

They all must have been pretty hungry for they managed to finish all the stew and cheese bread with nary a crumb left. As Ruby poured their guest more tea, Yang washed out the dishes and poured herself a mug of ale.

Finally after all the chores were done, they all reconvened at the table, each of them taking intermittent sips of their own beverage.

Yang rolled her shoulders in anticipation for the upcoming conversation. Now she could finally get to the bottom of all this, namely, why her sister had brought home a noble.

"So," she began, "I'm Yang Xiao Long, local woodcutter and part-time jack-of-all-trades. I'll take on any odd jobs you have for me, provided the price is right." She pointed to Ruby. "This is my little sister, Ruby Rose, local huntress and tinker. If you have something broken, she can probably fix it or make you a new one, depending on what it is. She's also the one to go to if you need something from the forest; she knows this area better than the back of her hand and can point you to just about anything you might be looking for."

Yang paused long enough to let Ruby give the aristocrat a little wave, which again, was returned with that funny nod. Seriously, how could anyone move so stiffly without hurting themselves? Well, no matter. Onto the main question.

"So what brings Lady Weiss Schnee out of her castle and down to where the little people work and live?" Yang probably enjoyed watching the noble recoil in shock a bit more than she should, but who could blame her? It was a Schnee. Yang had plenty of reasons not to like the Schnees. But just as Yang wasn't the woman who abandoned her as soon as she was born or the man who had let himself get consumed by grief to the point where he more or less walked out of her and Ruby's lives, she would give this Weiss Schnee a chance to prove she wasn't like the rest of her family. Didn't mean she wouldn't give the young woman a hard time though. Yang had learned long ago that some people didn't show their true colors until after you needled them to the point where they blew up at you. Luckily for Yang, she loved needling people and seeing how they ticked.

"How did you know who I am? Did my father send you?" the lady, Weiss, demanded.

"Easy there, Princess, no need to jump to conclusions."

"Don't call me that!"

Yang ignored her yet again. "Some soldiers rode into the village earlier. They put up a wanted poster with your face on it. I thought you looked familiar when I first saw you; I didn't realize why until just before supper though. What did you do? Steal the family fortune?"

"Of course not! Wait...I have wanted posters?"

"Wanted alive and unharmed. Anyone with new information will be rewarded. If you can produce the lady in question, you'll get ten silver lien. That's enough to feed a family of four through the winter and still have money to buy seeds in the spring, provided they use it sparingly. Once people figure out where you are, they'll be coming after you in droves."

The aristocrat's lips flattened into a straight line. "Of course. Can't waste money on commoners."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"

The other woman shook her head. "'Anyone with _new_ information will be rewarded' meaning if you come to them with information, they can always say that someone else already reported that information so they can get out of actually paying any reward money."

"Sneaky," Yang commented, rather impressed by the underhandedness of it all.

"I'm not certain whether I should be sad or insulted that my capture is only worth ten silver lien," Weiss said with a scowl.

"For what it's worth, it's only for now. They'll eventually raise the bounty if you're not caught. It's just that if they can get people to look for you and turn you in for less money, why not start as low as possible?"

"And you would know this how?"

"Our uncle is part of the Riders," Yang said, naming the specific branch of provincial soldiers whose only duties were to constantly patrol major roadways to protect travelers from bandits or Grimm. They weren't as good at facing Grimm as licensed Grimm Huntsmen and Huntresses were, but they did their best. Unfortunately, there were always far more Grimm than Huntsmen, which was why the provinces had created the branch of soldiers to begin with. "He tells us stories all the time whenever he's stationed nearby and comes to visit."

"So tell me," Yang said, getting back on subject, "why is there a warrant out for your capture?"

"I haven't done anything wrong!" Weiss snapped.

"I didn't say you did but the fact is, you're wanted, meaning you being here could put us in danger. If we're giving you shelter, the least you could do is tell us why."

"I-I ran away from home."

Yang gave her an even look. "And I'm supposed to believe that Lord Schnee put out a warrant for your capture just because you ran away from home?"

"My father is not a nice man," she said in a clipped tone. "And he has an...obsession with controlling every aspect of his life including things that he considers his property. He would send people after me as a matter of course, if only so as not to lose face with his peers."

Property? Weiss believed that her father saw her as property? Yang couldn't help but frown at that. But that didn't change the fact that the noble wasn't being entirely truthful. She filed that thought away as she asked what she had been wondering all evening, "So how did you end up here with Ruby?"

Weiss flushed pink and looked down. "I ran into some of my father's men earlier. They managed to catch me off guard and were about to drag me back home." She shot a glance at the utterly silent hooded figure on the other side of the table. "Your sister took out all nine of the guards, freed me from my bonds, and brought me back here when I asked for further assistance."

Yang groaned inwardly. Trust her kind-hearted sister jump to the rescue, _again_. Normally, Yang wouldn't mind so much, but this time the girl had rescued a Schnee. The Schnees were one of the main reasons the Faunus were treated so badly throughout most of Atlas. Outwardly though…

"Nine men? Good going, Sis!" Yang reached out to ruffle the girl's hair, only belatedly realizing her hood was in the way. Yang changed targets and threw a heavy arm over the smaller girl's shoulders instead. The girl floundered under the sudden extra weight, before leaning in and throwing an arm around Yang's waist, returning the one-armed hug.

When the two pulled away from one another, Yang turned her attention back to their guest. "Alright, you're here safe and sound, we've fed you, we'll probably let you spend a night or two if you need it and even give you free meals if you can't afford it. Heck, we'll even throw in some provisions before you leave if you need them. Is that enough assistance for you?" Yang thought not, but she hoped to be pleasantly surprised. A girl had to dream, right?

"Actually…" the noble began.

Well, it was a nice dream while it lasted. Then again, she ought to be used to this. Nothing was ever simple when her little sister was involved. It was really strange. Ruby spent most of her days avoiding people like the plague, and yet every time Yang took her eyes off the girl, someone was begging her to hunt down a Grimm or to help them do something or other.

"I was hoping to hire your sister's services," Weiss said, shooting a glance at Ruby.

"Anywhere my little sister goes, I go. You want to hire her for something, that means you're hiring me, too, whether you like it or not," Yang said adamantly.

That perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised again. "I hardly think I need the skills of a woodcutter."

"Jack-of-all-trades, remember? I got plenty of skills, some of which I bet you can't even imagine. You just let me worry about that bit. So what's the job?"

The look of doubt never left Weiss's face, but she continued speaking regardless. "Service as a guide and bodyguard, if you will. I've come to realize I may have been a bit...hasty in planning my escape from my father's clutches. There are certain things I was ill-prepared for, one of which being the fact that he would put an actual bounty on my capture. Your sister has shown herself to be a capable, if somewhat confoundingly quiet, guide, and I doubt the sword and bow she carried earlier are simply for show. Furthermore, she has already shown she is capable of incapacitating nine fully armed men if need be.

"I have no money on me, but I took what personal jewelry I had access to before I left. I'm sure you would be able to sell them for your payment. What I need is this: I need to get to the province of Vytal as soon as possible without getting captured by bounty hunters or my father's men. If you can get me all the way to the capital, that would be even better, but I'll settle for just getting to Vytal if I must. You will protect me from any threats we might encounter, preferably with as few human deaths as possible, but I understand if that isn't realistically feasible. You will also better equip me for the journey as I wasn't able to bring much with me beyond a few changes of clothing and my jewelry. You will undertake this job with goodwill, meaning if circumstances change and you find you cannot take me all the way to Vytal, you will not abandon me without a word and you will ensure that I am either adequately prepared to make the journey on my own or you will find someone trustworthy to take over for you. Any questions?"

Yang blinked, and opened and closed her mouth a few times. She couldn't help but say, "Well, you sure don't ask for much, do you? And who uses words like 'feasible'? What are you, a magistrate or something?" Weiss's face turned red just as Ruby slapped her arm for being rude.

"Well, if you're not up to it, that's fine with me. Originally, I only wanted to hire your sister anyway. _Your_ presence is not necessary," Weiss snapped.

Yang felt the familiar flames of her temper rising from the pit of her stomach. "Too bad, Princess," she retorted, "As I said, where Ruby goes, I go. The flipside is if I don't go, she doesn't go."

"Oh? So just because she can't say a word against you, you think you can make decisions for her? Controlling much?"

"You don't know the first thing about Ruby or me. I don't control her. I look out for her and make sure she doesn't get cheated by people like you."

"Oh, and who are people like me?"

"Selfish, egotistical, money-grubbing, self-entitled piles of slag who think they can have whatever they want no matter who suffers for it."

The noble looked as though she was about to explode. "You said I don't know the first thing about you so what makes you think you know anything about me?"

"All you nobles are the same. If you see something you want, you take it. Your family has been raising taxes on us every year. Well, where's all that money going? To repair or build more roads? Not according to the Riders. To use to support the people in times of trouble? A couple years ago, most of the farming families around here had their fields hit by an early frost, and they lost most of their seed. They asked for help from the local Schnee governor and got nothing but condolences. Ruby ran herself ragged hunting every day so that they didn't starve to death when they spent the last of their savings to buy new seed. And don't get me started on how the Faunus are being treated.

"Did you know Lord Schnee and the rest of the Atlas Council mandated that all Faunus who are citizens of Atlas have to move to council-approved reservations within three years? That was two years ago. This is the last year any Faunus get to move to the reservations. If they don't, they'll be considered criminals and can be arrested by local law enforcement, which'll eventually send them into hard labor. And conveniently those Faunus reservations are located near the Schnee Dust mines. Then last spring, he proposed and passed a mandatory draft that forces any Faunus picked through a lottery to work in those same Dust mines for a minimum of three years at a time. That's the sort of thing your family does."

"I am _not_ my family!" Weiss screeched as she rose out of her chair, causing Yang to do the same. The two glared at each other, one with the cold fury of ice and the other with the raging anger of fire.

Yang didn't know what else she might have said because at that moment, a shrill whistle pierced the air causing both of them to jump. They turned to Ruby who stood there with her whistle held to her lips.

Ruby tucked the whistle away again and signed to Yang sternly, _Stop it. Look at her. She's exhausted._

Yang reluctantly did as she was told and was chagrined to find Ruby was right. Weiss carried herself so stiffly that Yang had missed the dark circles under her eyes and the nearly imperceptible weariness in her shoulders. Yang had been browbeating someone who was standing through sheer willpower alone. Schnee or not, Yang should have known better, she thought uncomfortably. Her only excuse was she always had a tendency to go a little overboard whenever Ruby was involved.

Yang heaved a heavy sigh and dropped back into her seat with a huff. Weiss's eyes had been darting back and forth between the two sisters, and Yang realized she had forgotten to convey Ruby's words.

"Ruby told me to leave you alone because you're tired," Yang told her, feeling a bit drained herself.

"I'm just fine," the noble lied as she crossed her arms defensively.

"Sure ya are," Yang drawled, "but I'm tired too, so let's call it a night. We can yell at each other more tomorrow." Ruby whacked her in the shoulder for that, but she just grinned, despite the fisheye Weiss was giving her.

Finally, the other woman lowered herself back into her seat as well, her exhaustion clearly more pronounced than it had been before. "Fine."

"Great! Now that that's settled." Yang felt Ruby tug on her shirt. The younger girl signed something that Yang more or less agreed with. "Ruby says that since you're a guest, you should get the bed. Hold on just a minute, and we'll get things ready for you."

Weiss blinked. "Bed? What bed?" She glanced at the two sisters and saw Ruby pointing up. Weiss's eyes followed her finger, and she realized there was a ladder in the corner of the room that lead to a loft.

"You're not afraid of heights, are ya Princess?"

"Quit calling me that! Argh! You are so infuriating!"

"Don't worry, really," Yang said earnestly, "You don't have to use big words to insult me. Little ones work just fine." Ruby smacked her again and wandered away shaking her head. Yang, on the other hand, got to watch the noble start muttering insults under her breath after giving a wordless scream. She grinned. Poking the noble was fun!

That was when Yang got whacked in the face with a ball of sheets. She caught it and looked up at Ruby who apparently had already climbed into the loft and stripped their straw mattress to put clean sheets on for their guest.

Yang sighed. As fun as it was to mess with the noble, she ought to help her little sister and play the good hostess. "So," she said, catching Weiss's attention, "What should we call you? Princess? Schnee? Lady Schnee?" Weiss didn't reply right away and when she finally did, it was so quiet that Yang couldn't quite make it out. "What was that?"

The noble sighed. "Weiss. Just call me Weiss."

Yang cocked an eyebrow. "Not Lady Weiss?"

"No," the other woman said shortly.

"Alright then," Yang said with a shrug. "So Weiss, do you want to just go to bed or do you want to get cleaned up a little before you do?"

Weiss perked up. "A bath?"

Yang grimaced. "Sorry to disappoint you but nothing so fancy. What we can do is heat some hot water for you so you can wipe yourself down if you want."

Weiss seemed to struggle for a moment before sagging as if losing some sort of inner battle. "Please," she said in a quiet voice. "I would be...grateful if you could do so for me."

Yang nodded and got to work, filling a tub halfway up with water after tossing the ball of sheets she had been holding onto the spare cot that their Uncle Qrow used whenever he stayed the night. She'd probably end up using it tonight. And Ruby…

Yang couldn't help but frown. Ruby would probably camp out tonight. She always did when strangers came to the cabin and needed to spend the night. For some reason, Ruby just couldn't sleep if there were strangers around. Yang thought it might have something to do with her Faunus side being unable to relax when there were foreign bodies in the spaces she considered hers, like a wolf guarding its territory. It was Yang who finally told her that it would be fine if she wanted to camp outside to sleep instead of suffering through a sleepless night. Well, after Ruby rejected Yang's suggestion that they kick all the strangers out for Ruby's sake. That was Ruby, always thinking about everyone else before herself.

With a small sigh, Yang fished a couple of hot stones out of the clay pot they kept in the corner of the hearth and dumped them into the tub of water, causing the water to sizzle and pop.

"What are you doing?" Weiss suddenly asked from behind her.

Yang stepped back to let the noble watch as she dumped another hot stone into the water. "Heating the water. See, heating water over the fire takes forever if you're trying to heat a lot at once and sometimes you just want a little hot water real quick. So Ruby made that clay pot over there and filled it with clean rocks she found by the river. The rocks get hot whenever we light up the hearth and we can use them to warm or heat things for hours afterwards, even after we bank or put out the fire. She apparently got the idea from when we heat rocks to warm the bed in the winter."

"I've never seen water heated that way before…but it's rather brilliant considering it's so simple."

"I know," Yang said proudly. "My baby sister is amazing. I call her a tinker, but she's really so much more. She's always coming up with ways to make things easier, even if they're a little odd sometimes. Most people see only one way to do things because that's the way they've been taught, but she's always coming up with all these other possibilities. They don't always work, but still—"

Yang felt a tug at her shirt, and she slung an arm around her younger sister without even looking. "Awww, don't be embarrassed," she told the girl. "We gotta impress the Princess so that she'll pay us our money's worth," she faux whispered while grinning at the noble who had the most annoyed expression on her face that Yang had ever seen. Ruby squirmed away and went to fetch a jug of room temperature water.

"Is the water hot enough for you?" Yang asked Weiss after she tossed a few more stones in.

Weiss dipped a fingertip into the water and pulled away quickly. "Maybe a little too hot."

Ruby held up her jug of cool water, making sure she had Weiss's attention, poured a little of it into the tub of hot water, mimed sticking her finger in the water, and then held the jug out to Weiss.

"So, what do you think Ruby was trying to tell you this time?"

Weiss replied dryly, "That I should add cool water until it reaches a comfortable temperature."

"You're getting better at this already. Soon you'll be able to communicate to one another without me."

"I can only hope," the noble deadpanned.

Yang blinked. "Did you just make a joke?"

"Of course not," Weiss said as her face reddened.

Yang was going to keep teasing her, but Ruby grabbed her arm and pulled her to the door. "Oh, well, we'll give you some privacy so you can do your thing," she called back. "Just call us when you're done.

"Alright, Ruby, I'm coming. I'm coming! No need to pull so hard."

* * *

Eventually, the young noble raised her voice, and Yang ambled back in.

The young noble was wearing a wrinkled white nightgown that Yang could only assume came from her meager luggage. Weiss glanced beyond her, confusion in her eyes. "Where's your sister?"

Yang gave a noncommittal shrug. "I told you she's not too comfortable with strangers. That goes doubly at nighttime. She's going to camp out tonight. She'll be back in the morning, probably before either of us wake up."

Weiss's mouth dropped open in horror. "You mean I evicted her out of her own home?"

"Who uses words like 'evicted'?" Yang backed up quickly at the force of the noble's glare. "Hey, relax. It was going to happen one way or another. There's no way she would have made you sleep outside and unfortunately if you're here, she can't sleep inside. She'll be fine. If you hadn't noticed, she took her bow and sword with her just in case, and you know she knows how to use them."

Weiss didn't look pleased, but it's not like she had much of a choice. Ruby was already gone to wherever she went when she camped out. "Where are you going to sleep?"

Yang pointed to the cot. "Over there. It'll be comfy enough."

Weiss eyed the cot with doubt. "No blankets?"

"Don't need 'em. I'm really hot-blooded, and it's still warm in the season."

"Well…I guess I'll turn in for the night."

Yang nodded. "I'll be heading to bed soon as well. Just need to clean up a bit and bank the fire. I'll try to keep quiet. Good night."

For some reason, the noble's eyes widened at that before she responded in a small voice, "Good night."


	4. Help

Ruby returned to the cabin just as the greyish-white sky started turning pink and yellow in the east. It was a cool, crisp morning, the kind of weather that made Ruby want to go for a run through the woods just for the thrill of it. She wouldn't though, not today. They had a guest. A most unusual guest.

Ruby hadn't really been sure what to think of her. Sure, the wolf Faunus had brought her home because she looked like she could really use some help, but Ruby had been near panic the entire time. She had been fine during the fight, but when her battle-focus waned, every instinct in her told her to run; strangers were dangerous.

But then the noble, Weiss, had started following her and then got herself hurt, and it was against Ruby's nature to leave someone who needed help.

There was also the fact that Weiss somehow reminded Ruby of Yang. Not in personality, of course. Definitely not in personality, but they were both...dedicated? No, driven. Ruby didn't know what exactly drove the young noble, but whatever it was was important enough for her to run away from home and follow a complete stranger into an unknown forest. Ruby could tell by the look in the other woman's eyes and the determination in her voice as she spoke the night before. Ruby wasn't that great with people, but even she could tell how serious Weiss was. Yang, on the other hand, would never admit to being serious about anything, but Ruby knew better.

Obviously, Yang would do anything for Ruby, but there was another side of her that she kept hidden. Whenever they left Patch, whether they be called out for a Grimm hunt or they took on a job to escort and protect travelers through unknown territory, Yang always made time to drop by any major towns on the way. Ruby usually waited outside the town because of her aversion to people, but one time curiosity got the better of her and she followed her older sister. That was the day Ruby found out something that she was pretty sure her sister didn't want her to know—that Yang was on the search for her birth mother, meaning the two weren't full sisters. They were only half-sisters, something that clearly everyone but Ruby knew. It had been something of a shock, but in the end Ruby didn't care. Nothing would change the way she felt about Yang. They were family, regardless of whether they shared all the same blood or not.

Still, it was something that Yang wanted to know badly enough that she would search for new information everywhere she went. That was why Ruby pushed herself so hard to master both her Semblance and weapon skills. If Ruby proved she was strong enough, Yang would feel more comfortable about accepting Grimm hunt or escort requests. Then the two of them could travel farther, and Yang could seek out more information about her missing mother.

In her darker moments, Ruby felt guilty. If it weren't for her and her problems, Yang wouldn't have to be tied down to Patch, a place that she barely tolerated these days, which was yet another thing that was Ruby's fault. Yang maintained that the villagers should have been looking out for Ruby the day she had been abducted by those men and that they should have noticed when she suddenly disappeared from the village confines. Yang didn't even talk to the lady who had supposed to be watching the children that day while their parents were working in the fields anymore. Still, things were better now than before. Yang's eyes didn't go red every time she thought of the village, but she had never truly forgiven any of them.

If it weren't for Ruby, Yang wouldn't be stuck here. She could go wherever she wanted and find her mother instead of having to care for a little sister who couldn't even talk. Ruby was always holding her back, always causing her to worry, and she hated that. The least Ruby could do for such a self-sacrificing sister was make sure her sister had chances to fulfill this modest wish of finding her birth mother.

Ruby slipped in through the front door as quietly as possible, but apparently not quietly enough.

"Ruby?" Yang called out in a sleep-filled voice.

Ruby hung up her bow and quiver, dropped off her little breakfast surprise parcel at the table, removed her sword from her side, and went over to the cot where Yang was sitting up and yawning. Yang scooched over, and Ruby slipped in next to her, cuddling in when Yang put an arm around her shoulders.

"You're all cold."

Ruby just shrugged as she leaned into her sister's ever present warmth. Being next to Yang was like sitting in front of the fireplace, cozy, comforting, and so very warm. It was a problem during the summer but wonderful in the colder months, especially for Ruby who had always been sensitive to the cold. Yang always said it was because Ruby was too thin. She was always trying to get the younger girl to eat more to gain some weight, but Ruby was always so active running here and there that she ended up burning everything off.

"Did you manage to get any sleep?"

A little. Maybe an hour or two before the nightmares set in. Flashbacks always brought the worst nightmares rushing back in full. She would be in for a rough time for the next few nights. Not that she would tell Yang that. It would only make her worry, so Ruby waffled her hand side to side instead.

"So not much."

Ruby's wolf ears drooped. Not for the first time did she wish that she was better at hiding things, or at least that her sister was less adept at reading her.

Yang sighed softly and wrapped herself more completely around her little sister until the smaller girl was sitting between her legs and leaning back against her chest. "Well, take it easy today. Go fishing instead of hunting, or just take the day off. Nap or something. Got it?"

Ruby thumped Yang softly with her tail in response. She would try, if only to keep Yang from worrying more than she already was.

The two sisters sat quietly together just soaking in the love and companionship each felt for the other. Most days they were busy. Ruby was always out and about, ranging far and wide when she hunted to avoid depleting the game in any single area. Some days she would disappear early in the morning, and Yang wouldn't see her again until well after the sun went down. Yang, on the other hand, had to chop firewood and transport it to the village along with any fresh game, jerky, animal hides or furs Ruby had managed to get. She usually made the trip two or three times a week. Some of the goods she sold to save up money for their trips away from Patch, while others she traded for things she and her sister couldn't get on their own, mostly foodstuffs like oatmeal, flour, eggs, milk, bread, and vegetables. The hustle of their everyday lives made these quiet moments all the more precious, and both made sure to savor every second of them.

It was Yang who pulled away first. "So, you're here and I'm here. The princess probably won't be getting up for a while so we don't need to do any of that mannerly, take-care-of-your-guest stuff. So how about a workout? Empty-hand, of course." Yang said with a grin.

Ruby pinned her ears back and her shoulders sagged, though her sister only noticed the latter since Ruby's hood was still up.

"I know you don't like it but if you don't practice, you'll never get better."

Ruby mimed slashing with a sword.

"Yeah, but what're you gonna do if you lose your sword? And your knives. And your bow," Yang added, knowing her sister's oft used arguments. "I don't care if you never get as good as me; I just want you to be better than average so that if you get into a pinch, you still have a way out. I never want anything bad to happen to you again, Ruby."

Yang was playing unfair, using the guilt card. It wasn't Yang's fault that _that_ had happened to Ruby, but she blamed herself all the same and there was nothing Ruby could do about it. But her older sister had a point. Ruby was absolutely worthless in a fight without a weapon against people who knew what they were doing. She could take out your average thugs thanks to her defensive Aura and speed Semblance giving her an edge, but put her against someone who was fully trained and she would lose seven or eight times out of ten. She just didn't have the muscle mass or skill to take on foes bigger and heavier than her without a weapon to act as an equalizer. As her Uncle Qrow had put it, watching her without a weapon was like watching a puppy trying to take on a full grown mastiff. Sure, she could probably get in a bite or two, maybe cause her foe some annoyance as she worried away at them with her light punches and harder kicks, but she'd never beat them unless she got lucky. One well-timed bash from them, and she'd go tumbling head over heels.

Ruby's one ace in the hole was using her speed Semblance to full-on body tackle her opponent, but Yang didn't actually like her doing that. She didn't really approve of Ruby turning herself into a human cannonball for some reason. And if Ruby was being entirely truthful, it just wasn't that effective because she was simply too light. Ruby had tried that technique on Yang once in one of their sparring matches, and her sister had barely budged. Then again, Yang wasn't normal. She could wrestle with an Ursa with only her defensive Aura activated and still not break a sweat.

Finally, Ruby gave a sigh, got up, and trudged towards the door with all the excitement of someone heading to a funeral.

"Awww, come on, little sis; it won't be that bad," Yang said as she threw an arm back around the girl's shoulders. "Tell you what, if you can land a solid hit on me, I'll get you some strawberry preserves."

The younger girl straightened at once and nearly ran out the door, stopping only when she remembered she needed to remove her belt pouch and hunting knife. Yang chuckled at her sister's antics and sauntered outside to wait.

* * *

The first thing Weiss heard when she broke away from sleep's comforting embrace was the sound of several distant thuds. Then came the scraping of dirt and the sound of someone's voice calling out encouragement and advice in equal measure. What was going on?

She sat up slowly and blinked blearily as she looked around. Where was she? It took a moment for her to place the weathered timbers surrounding her and the scratchy, uncomfortable straw mattress beneath her. _That's right. I followed the hooded warrior here and met her utterly obnoxious sister._

She shifted to the edge of the mattress with a sound that would have been a groan in anyone less cultured. The last few days had not been kind to her. She had taken a series of carriages as far as they would take her the first two days, knowing that her father probably wouldn't even notice she was gone unless one of the servants was willing to risk gaining his attention (and ire) to tell him. There was no point in roughing it if she didn't need to. After that, she had used what little lien she had to buy travel supplies, asking the inn matron to send one of her workers to pick up whatever they thought she might need. From there, she had attempted to make her way to the border, avoiding roads when she could and sleeping under trees or in caves for shelter. It was torture. The first night she slept on the road, she woke up so stiff that she could barely move and the next couple nights were no better. She had no idea how travelers and peasants did it all the time.

What she would give for a cup of hot coffee. She had been shocked learning on the road that coffee was a luxury item that only the rich could afford, so most places didn't even carry it; some had never even heard of it. The event had only further underlined the fact that perhaps she was less prepared than she thought, running away as she did.

_That's why I need to do whatever I can to secure the younger sister's services as a guard and guide. It might be awkward since she can't speak, but I'm sure I can manage. I really could do without the older sister, but judging by how she reacted last night, I doubt I can convince her to stay behind. Which reminds me, where are they?_

She would have thought one of them would have noticed her get up and come to see her. She was a guest after all and the loft creaked like mad every time she moved. If it didn't look so sturdy, she would have been worried that it was about to collapse every time it made that horrendous sound.

Deciding to take advantage of her apparent privacy, she changed into one of her few sets of clothes, a dark grey top over a light greyish-blue, calf-high one-piece dress. She slipped back into her shoes and climbed down the ladder, privately admitting to herself that this part of the loft would have been rather fun if her body wasn't so sore. At least the red rope marks around her wrists were gone now; her Aura had healed them overnight.

Weiss wondered if it would be permissible for her to make some tea for herself and then realized she didn't know where they even kept the tea. She had been too exhausted and hungry the night before to pay attention to the quieter sister when she had been puttering around in the background.

That was when Weiss realized the sounds that had woken her up were coming from outside. She made her way to the door and stepped out into the sunlight.

"Come on, Ruby, keep your arms up and elbows in! Otherwise, you're opening yourself up for attack," the golden-haired, older sister, Yang, said as she launched a punch. The younger sister, Ruby, dodged the initial punch but then her sister turned her punch into a backhanded fist strike, whacking the poor girl on the side of her temple. "See, if your arms had been up, you could have blocked that." The hooded girl stumbled away from her with a hand pressed against her bruised head. Weiss winced in sympathy.

Weiss found herself wondering if the girl ever took off that hooded cloak. Did she wear it because of her shyness? Then Weiss wondered what she looked like. Unlike her taller, broader, sturdier older sister with muscles Weiss had never seen before on a woman, the younger girl was short and slender. In other words, their body types were exceedingly different but... _perhaps she shares her sister's blonde hair and lilac eyes?_ Weiss tried to picture it, but somehow couldn't. All she could see in her head was that mysterious hood.

Yang straightened and noticed Weiss. "'Morning, Princess, sleep well?"

"Don't call me that," she said automatically before answering politely, "Yes, I did. Thank you." Though she didn't. Still, she could be polite. Not only to win them over but also because it was something her father wouldn't do and that, in and of itself, had value in her eyes. "What were you doing?"

"Training my sister to fight without weapons." Yang gave a stretch as she spoke.

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Why? Isn't she good enough with her sword?"

"Yeah, but there's no guarantee she'll have it every time things go south. I wanna make sure she can defend herself in any situation, at least long enough to run." The taller woman sighed. "Unfortunately, she's kind of hopeless at this. Put a sword, knife, or bow in her hands and she's amazing, but take them away and it's like she's never been in a fight in her life, and I can't figure out why."

Weiss couldn't think of anything to say to that. She wasn't any good without Myrtenaster either; in fact, she was so out of practice that she might not be any good even with the rapier in hand.

"You still against having me along?" Yang's sudden query broke into her thoughts.

"To be entirely honest, yes."

"Because I'm a woodcutter?"

"That's one of the reasons." Also that Weiss couldn't stand the infuriating, unprincipled, pushy elder sister, and Yang had made her own opinion in regards to Weiss very clear the night before. Once again, Weiss found herself railing inwardly against her father; even now he was barring her path. Thanks to him, the Schnee name alone was enough to turn people against her. She could only hope that the younger sister didn't mind that she was a Schnee and would accept her job offer.

Yang gave her a smug grin that confused the noble. "Now that's a challenge if I've ever heard one. I'm gonna make you eat your words. Hey, Ruby! Grab your sword! Let's put on a show for our possible employer."

Now what was the loudmouth up to?

Weiss stepped aside to allow the sisters back into the cabin, watching them curiously. Ruby slipped her sheathed sword back onto her side while Yang came out with a pair of...gauntlets? If so, they were the strangest pair of gauntlets that Weiss had ever seen. They seemed to be made of mostly hardened leather straps with only a few dull metal plates.

Yang caught her eye. "You look like you have questions."

Weiss hesitated then asked, "What are those?"

"A pair of cestuses. They're battle gloves."

"So they aren't gauntlets?"

"Nope. Gauntlets are mostly for defense. These are for both defense and offense." Yang held out one of the pairs and snickered when Weiss lurched as she took it. It was heavy!

The glove seemed to be comprised of two layers. The outer layer had several metal plates sewn onto hardened leather, covering the outside of the forearm, the back of the wearer's hand, and their knuckles. The inner forearm of the glove was protected by overlapping, hardened leather straps and the palm and inner fingers were protected by slightly more malleable leather covered with a strange, white, heavy cloth. The same white cloth lined the inner layer of the glove, which was padded with pockets filled with what felt like heavy sand. The largest sand compartments covered the outer forearm and wrist, the inner forearm, and the knuckles.

Perhaps they were for shock absorption? She tested one of the pocket-protected areas and could see how the sand might reduce some of the impact of any attack, but they were so heavy. One would think that the extra weight would be a disadvantage in battle. Then again, the older sister seemed to have muscles on her muscles so maybe she didn't even feel the extra weight. All in all, it was the strangest weapon Weiss could remember ever seeing. She handed it back to Yang, who slipped it on as though it weighed nothing.

Ruby had drawn her sword and was weaving it through the air in a series of movements that Weiss recognized as exercises swordsmen used to loosen their wrist and muscles before a match or training. Weiss fought the urge to go inside and grab Myrtenaster to join the smaller girl in her exercises. _Later,_ she told herself, _when the sisters are occupied, I'll make some time to practice._

Belatedly as she watched the two sisters stretch and loosen their limbs, she blurted out to the elder, "Wait, she's going to spar against you with a live blade?" Even the guards at the castle only sparred with weapons that had their edges dulled.

"Of course. It's not much of a training exercise if we don't. Anyway, I've got a lot of Aura so even if I get a little cut up, I'll heal quickly enough. In case you're worried, I do pull my punches. Rubes is a lot more delicate than me, and I could seriously hurt her if I went all out."

"'Delicate than I,'" Weiss corrected absentmindedly.

"Huh?"

"'More delicate than I' is the proper way to say it."

Yang blinked and then just shook her head. "Whatever you say, Princess."

Weiss was just about to tell the oaf—yet again!—not to call her that, but then she realized something else. "Wait. Aura? You're an Aura warrior?" she asked in utter shock, referring to the relatively small percentage of Remnant warriors who could utilize their Aura, the power of their soul, in battle.

"Uh, yeah. Why so surprised?"

"Because—you—" Weiss couldn't even finish the thought. How could this—this lout, of all people—be part of the most venerated class of warriors, the only warriors elite enough to become Huntsmen, fighters who used their Aura to help them exterminate Grimm and Remnant's only real defense against those inhuman monsters. Aura warriors were _heroes_ , not unprincipled peasants.

Something of her thoughts must have shown on her face because Yang's expression hardened. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Princess, but we're both 'Aura warriors' as you call 'em. In fact, Ruby over there has had her Aura unlocked since she was ten."

Weiss's pale face went even paler. "Please tell me you're joking," she said horrified.

There was a reason there were so few Aura users, much less Aura warriors, namely, unlocking one's Aura was _dangerous_. Assuming someone even managed to survive the unlocking of their Aura, many new Aura users ended up killing themselves within the first year simply because they overused their Aura, and overusing one's Aura meant using up one's very soul. Yes, the soul regenerated over time, but it took time and practice for anyone to learn their own limits. A large percentage of new Aura users unwittingly burned themselves out, leaving behind nothing but a soulless husk. Aura warriors were in even more danger because they weren't just learning to use their Auras defensively; they took things a step further and learned to used their to use their Auras in battle, strengthening their weapons and strikes so that they could cut through a Grimm's thick hide, which only raised the likelihood of them dying from Aura depletion early on.

Furthermore, it was commonly known that younger warriors were much more likely to burn themselves out. Fifteen was the absolute youngest age anyone had ever had their Aura unlocked and survived—though if Yang was to be believed, that age should now be ten, Weiss supposed—and that was a rarity that had only been witnessed once. The common age for warriors to try and have their Aura unlocked was twenty or older at the absolute earliest, and even then it was rather risky.

Winter had risked unlocking Weiss's Aura when the younger sister had been sixteen because she had been about to leave and wanted Weiss to have at least some Aura and Glyph training before she went, but the Schnees didn't count. They were one of the few families in all of Remnant with hereditary Semblances. A Semblance was a physical manifestation of one's Aura that was usually unique to the individual, but for some reason, the Schnees were different. It was believed that because their family's Glyph Semblance was hereditary, it was more stable, making it less likely for a Schnee to die in the process of unlocking their Aura or burning out their soul so quickly. As it was, Weiss had been abed for days after Winter had unlocked her Aura. Her body had burned with an intense fever as the power of her soul flowed through her body for the first time, setting alight every nerve and muscle. It had been a harrowing experience and a part of Weiss had been certain she was going to die as she lay trapped in bed, burning from the inside out.

"Nope, no joke," Yang replied flatly. Her lilac eyes were the coldest Weiss had ever seen thus far. "It was a life or death situation. We either had to let her die or unlock her Aura in hopes that it would speed her healing and save her life. I thank whatever gods exist everyday that she has so much Aura and that it had been enough to bring her back."

A shiver ran up Weiss's spine. She couldn't even begin to imagine it. She felt a new respect for the hooded figure on the other side of the yard. To face the risk of death twice at only ten years old. What had Weiss been doing at ten—complaining about tutors and tagging along after her mother or older sister?

"Ruby, you ready?" Yang called out as she air-boxed a few times to stay limber. The younger sister's head bobbed in affirmation. "Alright, here I come!" Yang darted forward to meet the girl head-on.

What followed was probably one of the most amazing feats of battle prowess Weiss had ever witnessed. Ruby slashed, dodged, spun, and kicked, her agility clear as she moved around the yard. Yang, in turn, evaded, punched, and even parried her sister's sword a few times, using the back of her cestus or aiming a well-timed slap to the flat of the blade using her palm. Even Weiss had to grudgingly admit that perhaps the older sister was indeed skilled and that she was definitely a force to be reckoned with.

Weiss's mouth dropped open when finally, Yang outright _caught_ Ruby's sword in one hand and launched a punch with the other. Ruby ducked and came back up with a knife she had drawn so fast that Weiss never even caught the movement. Yang slapped the knife aside, yanked the smaller girl by her sword until she was off balance, and then shoved her over an expertly placed leg. The girl tumbled backward, hitting the ground hard. The girl lay there for a few moments, apparently stunned.

"Good match, little sis," Yang said with a grin as she pulled the younger to her feet and dusted her off.

Weiss found her voice. "Why did you do that?" she asked incredulously.

Yang tilted her head. "Do what?"

"Catch the sword! Are you bleeding? Did you get cut? That was foolhardy and reckless! You weren't even using your Aura! Winning a match is meaningless if you badly hurt yourself!" Weiss was going to continue only to find herself staring at the unmarred, white palms of Yang's cestuses. "How…?"

"Nightcrawler silk. It's incredibly strong and can't be cut with metal. It's also fire resistant."

"That's…" Amazing. Unheard of. If Nightcrawler silk really was that useful then why hadn't she heard of it before? Merchants all over would be trying to get their hands on it and militaries would covet it for their soldiers. Wait...wasn't a Nightcrawler a type of Grimm? A particularly dangerous one at that because though they might be weaker than most individual Grimm, they lived in colonies that could contain well over a hundred members, allowing them to swarm and overtake humans through sheer numbers. Was the golden-maned brawler perhaps lying?

"Nightcrawler silk is extremely sticky and can't be used for weaving cloth," Weiss said flatly. She didn't know that much about Grimm, but she knew some of the more common types and their attributes. It was necessary knowledge when she had been slated as heiress. If she ever received reports of Grimm within the Schnee territories of Atlas, she had to know what she was dealing with in order to come up with the proper countermeasure.

Yang shrugged. "Yep. But my little sister is a genius. She tinkers, fiddles and turns common thought on its head."

"If what you're saying is true, then you could make a fortune producing such cloth."

"Yeah...that's not going to happen. I don't know exactly how to make it, but I know it takes a lot of work to make a small amount usable. Ruby only added it to my fighting gear because she loves me and wants me protected. Plus, can you imagine if something like this became widespread? People are already killing each other when what they really should be fighting are Grimm. Add something this strong to the mix, and some idiot with an army would go and do something stupid, hurting lots of people."

"That is...depressingly accurate."

"Right? So keep it to yourself."

"It's not like I have anyone to tell anyway."

"And even if you did, you wouldn't, right?" Sheer threat and intimidation exuded from the taller, broader woman, making Weiss's blood run cold in spite of herself.

"I swear on my honor as a Schnee that none of your secrets will pass from my lips without your explicit permission."

Yang met her eyes for a several long moments. Then she shook her head. "Not good enough. I don't like your family and quite frankly, wouldn't trust most of them even if my life depended on it. I don't care about your Schnee honor. I care about _your_ honor. The honor of a woman named Weiss who just happens to be a Schnee."

Weiss straightened, her heart pounding. Was the older sister really not going to hold Weiss accountable for her family? Perhaps she had been overly hasty in her judgement of the blonde. Ruby, at this point, had moved up next to her older sister and was gazing at Weiss as well. Weiss took a deep breath. "I, Weiss Schnee, swear on my honor _and_ life that your secrets are safe with me. If I _ever_ share something learned in confidence, it will be because one of you has given me permission. Otherwise, your secrets will remain my own as long as I live."

Yang's serious demeanor cracked and that infuriating cocky grin was back. "Good enough, Princess. Good enough." She headed into the cabin, stripping off her cestuses as she went.

"Don't call me that," Weiss muttered futilely and started to follow the woman inside. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the younger sister's shoulders shaking up and down. Was she...giggling? Weiss's face flushed pink at the thought, and she hurried inside, desperate to hide her reddened cheeks.

* * *

Yang was finishing off a second bowl of porridge drizzled with milk and honey and topped with fresh wild blackberries that Ruby had brought back that morning as a surprise for their guest, when Ruby suddenly bolted upright and turned her head towards the door.

Yang instantly tensed. "What is it, Ruby?"

Weiss put down her mug of tea and her eyes darted back and forth between the two sisters.

After a moment, Ruby signed and Yang translated. "Some men with weapons are coming this way. Possibly the soldiers from yesterday."

Weiss stiffened. Her bottom lip quivered, and she clenched her hands tightly. "How do you know that? Is that your Semblance?"

Yang shook her head. "No. She's just really sensitive to these sorts of things." Because she was a Faunus, but Yang didn't trust the Schnee enough to share that just yet. Plus, revealing that was up to Ruby, not her. "Ruby, can you tell how many?" She translated, "Two, maybe three squads. So that means anywhere from twelve to eighteen men. That's a lot of manpower just to bring you back, Princess. Or maybe you scared them good when you took them out yesterday, Ruby." She grinned at her sister.

There was a silence. Then Weiss rose shakily. "I'll gather my things and be on my way. I thank you for your hospitality."

Yang stared in shock before she stood up. "Whoa, and where do you think you're going? I thought you were trying to hire us."

"I was, but now we don't have enough time." Weiss walked stiffly away from the table to fetch her rapier and luggage.

Yang moved to stand in front of her. "Weiss, just calm down for a second. What don't we have time for?"

Weiss glared at her. "A proper business discussion obviously! I'm not naive. I know how these things work. I offer up my terms. You tell me what you're willing and not willing to do. We discuss things and come to a consensus that both of us are satisfied with." Yang's brow went higher and higher as she listened.

"But clearly we can't do that anymore," Weiss continued, "so the best thing I can do is leave now so I have a head start. Then you can tell the soldiers which way I went, and they'll leave you alone. They have no quarrel with you, only with me and as long as they don't see your sister, they ought to leave you alone."

Yang was silent for a few moments before she heaved an exasperated sigh. "Why are things so Dust-damned complicated with you?"

"I beg your pardon?" The noble's icy gaze could have frozen water. Too bad Yang was made of fire and sunlight.

Yang pointed at the smaller woman. "You're in trouble. You need help. Yesterday, you were fine with asking for it so why aren't you asking now?"

"Because I have no reason to expect it!" Weiss shouted, the strain of the last few days finally reaching its peak and igniting her paper-thin temper. "As gratefuI as I am for your assistance yesterday, I have no clue why on Remnant the two of you offered it in the first place. It makes no sense! My father would never lift a finger to help anyone unless it was somehow advantageous for him, and nearly everyone else I've met is the same. If there's no profit involved, then there's no reason to do anything for the sake of anyone else. That's just how the world works so why should I even bother debasing myself if all you're going to do is refuse?"

"You think asking for help means you're debasing yourself?" Yang asked, somewhere between shocked and sad. What a horribly lonely life that must have been.

"Well, what else could it be?" Weiss shot back, suddenly looking unbalanced by this whole conversation.

Yang ran a hand through her thick, golden hair. "I don't know, but not debasing yourself, that's for certain." She glanced over at her Ruby, thinking. She wasn't really the best with words, but this time she would try. "Asking for help means being human, being a person," she said at last. "It means admitting that just like everyone else, you can't do this alone and you need someone to bear part of the burden with you. It means accepting the fact that each person is different and what might be difficult for one person may be easier for someone else.

"Ruby and I...we only have each other. Sure, sometimes our uncle comes by to help with this or that, but mostly we're on our own. I'm not good at sewing or fixing broken things. Ruby can't lift heavy objects or deal with people, so we help each other. I take on the things she can't do well, and she does the same for me. There's no disgrace in it.

"Weiss, if you really believe that asking people for help somehow lessens the person that you are, then I'm really sorry you had to grow up like that." Yang scratched the back of her head. "Look, this doesn't have to be that complicated. You think Ruby helped you yesterday because she wanted something from you? Do you honestly believe the reason she brought you all the way here, knowing the entire time that she was probably going to have to spend the night outdoors because she can't handle strangers that well, was because she expected some sort of payment? Has anything she done since you met her even _hinted_ that she wants something from you?"

Weiss stared at Yang. Her lips tightened as though she were about to argue but upon meeting Yang's eyes, she seemed to think better of it. The moments stretched until finally she said reluctantly, "No...no, she hasn't."

Yang breathed a sigh of relief. "Right. So why would you think she'd do anything differently now? I mean, I know you just met her—us—but do we really seem like people who wouldn't lift a finger unless there was something in it for us?" Yang was nearly pleading now. This was too much. Someone had to show this hard-headed noble that there were good people out there, people far better than the self-centered monsters who had forced her to believe that she couldn't depend on anyone. Yang didn't know why she cared so much, but just imagining that sort of life made her feel so...hopeless. She would have been utterly lost without Ruby by her side, laughing with her, helping her, and just being there for her. Just imagining a life without Ruby filled Yang with emptiness and despair, and it hurt thinking this that the woman standing across from her had to live her life without her own Ruby—her own friend, family and confidant—to rely on. "Come on, it's not that hard, Weiss. Just ask."

Something in Yang's voice or expression must have broken through because after another long moment, the white-haired noble asked shakily in a quiet voice, "...Will you please help me? I have no means of paying you but—"

"Ah, ah, ah—! Stop right there. You asked for help, not only from my sister but now from me as well. You're in our home so the rules of hospitality demand that we feed and offer you shelter for at least three days if you have need of it and if we can spare it. If we're going by the oldest hospitality laws, that means we're to defend you from even your greatest enemies if they come looking for you while you're under our roof, so that's what we'll do. Now say thank you, Weiss."

Icy blue eyes widened in shock. Weiss's mouth opened and closed a few times before she whispered, "Thank you."

Yang grinned at her while Ruby slipped in beside her and cautiously laid a comforting hand on the woman's arm. If the noble's eyes were looking a bit watery, neither of the sisters seemed to notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think this is a good place to discuss why I decided to write this fanfic much less upload it where others can read it, especially in light of Yang and Weiss's discussion about what the nature of help (and support) truly are. 
> 
> This is a story dedicated especially to those who have inner demons. Mental illness (whether it be depression, PTSD, anxiety or something else) or other issues like low self-esteem, addiction, and alcoholism are no joke. They're a constant fight against a monster that never really goes away, a monster that just hides for a time only to strike again when one least expects it. I wanted to write this story because the themes of friendship, support, and simply never giving up in the face of adversity are so incredibly powerful in the original RWBY tale that I was inspired to expand on them while giving them my own flair. 
> 
> More importantly, I just wanted all of you out there who are reading this to know that there are other people out there who recognize your struggles and I, for one, honor them.
> 
> Yeah, for other people things like getting up in the morning and getting dressed or making breakfast—basically DOING simple things can be the hardest thing ever when your monster strikes. Sometimes stepping out of your house even if it's just to get groceries or psyching yourself up to go to some sort of social gathering can be the most daunting thing ever, and it's really easy to get trapped in a cycle of self-recrimination. Nobody else seems to have trouble with these things so why are these simple things so hard for me? But the thing is, everyone has their own darkness, their own monsters, their own demons. That's life, and to borrow the words of Ruby during her private discussion with Oscar in season 5, episode 5, the fact that you're still struggling against your monster says far more about you than the monster itself. No matter what anyone else says, you are worthy of respect and I salute you. 
> 
> I'm sure there are people out there who might never understand your problems because just like you might not be able to see their monster, they might not be able to see yours either. But know that you're not alone, and it's okay to admit when you might need a little extra help. There are people who care, people who are out there facing the same, similar, and sometimes even very different monsters, but that in no way belittles the battle you're facing now. Don't give up. Keep fighting. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. One day, this too shall pass and more than anything I hope that one day you'll be able to look back on yourself at this moment and feel proud of yourself, proud that you kept going, and I hope you've found something that's made all the struggles worth it in the end. 
> 
> And I hope that by following my AU versions of Ruby, Yang, and Weiss (and eventually Blake when she appears on the stage) on their journey and through their individual struggles, it brings a little extra light into your life.
> 
> Sorry, that was so long and rambling, and thank you again for taking the time out of your day to read this fanfic, especially since it’s my first. It really means a lot to me.
> 
> P.S. - Yes, my username is a reference to Icon for Hire's "Hope of Morning," which incidentally, is also the character song I'm using to help me write Weiss. It's also my guide for the story thematically, specifically the chorus: "When the hope of morning starts to fade in me / I don't dare let darkness have its way with me / And the hope of morning makes me worth the fight / I will not be giving in tonight."
> 
> YOU are worth the fight, and don't let anyone ever make you believe otherwise.


	5. Trespassing on the Dragon’s Den

Corporal Waln Beech grumbled as he heaved his considerable girth onto the back of his horse. He'd _had_ her. That spoiled heiress (as temporary as the title might be) had been right in his grasp, bound up and ready to be transported back to the castle. He could have been looking at honors or bonus pay—the bounty money would have been his for certain. Perhaps he'd treat the men to a pint at the nearest alehouse, but the rest of that bounty would be his. He was the commanding officer after all; it was only right that he got the bulk of it.

He scowled as he brushed his fingers against the tender knot at the back of his head. The heiress had been his, and then he and his men had been ambushed—most likely by a team of bounty hunters—and they'd taken the girl. One minute, she was in the carriage and they were on the move, the next, a barrage of rocks came hurtling out of the forest at them. The five men he had sent into the forest to subdue their cowardly attackers never came back out.

Corporal Beech shuddered in spite of himself. It was uncanny. One would think that the bounty hunters would have broken from cover to attack the three remaining soldiers surrounding the carriage, but there had only been silence. No voices, no whispers, just the wind rustling through the trees. Then another barrage of rocks came at them and while Beech had been cowering—er, wisely huddling—behind the carriage, something had struck him from behind. It must have jostled his brain pretty hard because he could have sworn he smelled roses just as everything went black.

Now all of the superstitious fools under his command were whispering about the woods being haunted by a brown phantom, which was utterly ridiculous. What kind of phantom would wear brown, anyway? Clearly a phantom would appear in white or black. They were evil like the Grimm so obviously they would be the same color. His subordinates just weren't well-learned enough to realize that.

He had proof as well. The butcher of the nearby village had been most helpful, unlike the soldiers in the Riders' Keep. They had been close to useless. Then again, he reasoned, the Riders spent most of their time patrolling the road so maybe they just didn't have time to pay attention to such a backwater village. He certainly wouldn't want to be caught dead hobnobbing with such country bumkins. He was made for bigger and better things.

The butcher apparently had a good idea who might have attacked his men and like a proper Atlas citizen, he had shared all he knew. According to the butcher, there was a rogue Faunus living in a cabin up the mountain, just outside of town. The butcher didn't know anything about bounty hunters, but he wouldn't put it past the Faunus; it was always taking on odd jobs that took it away from the village. Who's to say it wasn't getting involved in less than legal endeavors? Filthy animal. Beech would be more than happy to arrest the Faunus and deliver it to the animal reservations where it belonged.

There was the matter of subduing it, of course. That could get tricky, especially if it was working with the bounty hunters. Animals were always most dangerous when hunted and cornered so as the wise and properly cautious commanding officer he was, he had taken the liberty to borrow enough extra men from the Provincial Guard to form a whole patrol, three squads of six men each. All he had to do was mention Lord Schnee's missing daughter, and the Provincial Guard was happy to loan him some soldiers. With him as overall commanding officer and the First Officer loaned to him from the guard to manage the nitty-gritty aspects of command, they were twenty bodies strong.

The only reasons he and his men had been overwhelmed the afternoon before was because the cowards had caught them off guard and at the time of the attack, they hadn't had a full two squads. One of the warrant officers had decided to take four of the men from his squad and ride on ahead. Two were headed for the Rider's Keep to let them know the heiress had been found for appearance's sake, while the other two were to send word to Lord Schnee that his daughter had been found. That was why it was even more imperative that Corporal Beech got the heiress back as soon as possible. Lord Schnee would _not_ be happy upon hearing that his daughter had been found and then lost again in the span of less than an hour. The man shuddered just thinking about it.

"Corporal," the First Officer called out with a salute. Beech couldn't quite recall the man's name. Cooper? Carpenter? Something that had to do with manual labor. It mattered not. They were all common-born riffraff anyway. "The men are ready to head out."

"Good. Give the order to move out. I want to be back before sunset." The man gave his commanding officer another salute and raised his voice to call out the order.

* * *

The cabin...was not what Corporal Beech was expecting at all. He and his nineteen men were after a group of lawless bounty hunters who were possibly in league with a rogue Faunus. He was expecting some sort of lodge that acted as a headquarters for underhanded meetings and illegal dealings. This...cabin...looked barely large enough to house one person, let alone a group of armed individuals. Something wasn't right. Maybe this wasn't the right cabin? Perhaps they should have brought the butcher along as a guide.

His feeling of doubt only intensified when he spotted someone at the chopping block near the side of the house, splitting wood with careful precision. It took him a moment to realize the individual was a woman. She wore a loose cotton shirt that did nothing to hide her well-defined muscles, brown trousers, and a towel around her neck to wipe off sweat. If not for her overly muscular physique and masculine clothing, she would be quite a beauty, he mused. Her golden hair was gorgeous and her chest was remarkably well-endowed. The woman split one more log, wiped her face, and then turned to face the soldiers at her gate. _Lilac eyes. Quite lovely. If only I didn't have that heiress to worry about, I might be tempted to invite this woman out for drinks. The occasional distraction never hurt anyone._ The woman came closer and Corporal Beech noticed belatedly that she was quite tall, possibly even taller than himself. He'd best stay in the saddle. He straightened so as to look more imposing.

"Ho, there. Is this your land?" Beech called out as the woman approached.

"Yes, sir."

Beech puffed up at that. He'd always loved being called "sir," especially by a comely woman.

"We heard reports that there might be a group of lawless bounty hunters in the area."

"Bounty hunters?"

"Yes. My men and I were transporting a very important person yesterday, Lord Schnee's daughter, when we were suddenly attacked. Nine of us were injured in the scuffle and Lady Schnee was kidnapped." She didn't need to know that in all actuality, the injuries were little more than bruises and head bumps. Besides, his version of the story sounded much more dashing, although...why did this woman seem almost amused?

"And you think those...bounty hunters...are here?"

Beech nodded. "We heard they may have joined up with a rogue Faunus living in the area, an uncivilized animal that dares to pretend that it's human." He blinked. Did the woman's eyes just flash? It almost looked like her lilac eyes had turned red for a split second. Maybe he really did hit his head too hard yesterday if he was not only smelling things that weren't there but starting to see them as well.

"A rogue Faunus?" the woman asked in a light but blank voice. He couldn't tell what was going through her mind at all.

Beech shifted uneasily though he couldn't manage to pinpoint exactly why he felt so unsettled. "Yes. We were told that one of those filthy animals lives in a cabin somewhere around here and that they regularly take part in some rather suspicious activities." He pulled at his collar as he spoke. For some reason, it was rather warm around here. Strange considering it was mid-autumn, and they were part way up the mountain where it should have been cooler.

"Oh? Well, the only people who live around here are me and my little sister. Dunno about any bounty hunters though."

"You've a sister? Is she around? Perhaps she knows something about the bounty hunters."

The woman shrugged. "She has a tendency to wander off early in the morning, so I don't always where she is."

"Well, when you see her, you ought to warn her. It's not safe. So you've seen or heard nothing about these bounty hunters or the Lady Schnee? Her father is quite worried about her. She is...a headstrong but very sheltered young woman who ran away in a fit of childish rebellion. I shudder to think of what those bounty hunters might have kidnapped her for."

The woman was already shaking her head. "I saw the wanted poster in the village, but I didn't really pay to much attention to it. We're far enough away that we don't really get too many visitors up here. I doubt a noble girl would have made it this far on her own. If I were the sheltered daughter of a noble, I probably wouldn't know any better and I'd follow the main roads rather than risk getting lost on a mountain path."

"True," he allowed, "but she was kidnapped and a local expert suggested that these mountains would be perfect for a group of bounty hunters to hide in, especially if there's a rogue Faunus around. Those animals have no honor and would easily sell their services to the highest bidder."

He pulled at his collar again, sweating profusely. Autumn in these parts was strangely hot. He regretted wearing a quilted shirt under his uniform. He was so uncomfortable that he missed the tightening of the woman's facial features.

CRACK!

The abrupt sound of shattering wood caused Corporal Beech's horse to startle and rear. He fought to keep his seat and control his horse. When he finally got the beast under control and looked around for what caused the loud sound, he noticed the handle of the woman's axe was now broken, as if something had gripped it hard in the middle, crushing the thick wood until it snapped into two pieces as though it were a thin stick.

"Oops." The woman said blandly. "Sorry about that. I've got a strong grip." The smile she showed them didn't reach her eyes.

A chill ran up Beech's spine, and he shivered in spite of himself. "Well, yes, of course. These things happen." No, they didn't. "Dry rot and all." Which he had only ever heard of in ships and buildings. "Er...well...we'll be on our way then, though I don't suppose you'd mind if my men had a look around, just in case you happened to miss someone hiding on the premises?"

Again, that mirthless smile. "Sorry to disappoint you, but yes, I do mind."

"Right, then I'll just have a few of my men check around the buildings and…" He blinked. Wait. What did she just say? "I beg your pardon?"

She spoke slowly as though talking to an imbecile, which he certainly was not. "I. Do. Mind."

Beech straightened and gave the woman an incredulous look. "I don't think you truly understand the situation you're in, Miss. We are guards, practically soldiers, serving under Lord Schnee, himself. We wish to do our part and ensure you have no fugitives or runaways on or near your property for your own safety. Furthermore, I checked the records, and there was no documentation mentioning that any Faunus lived in these parts. That means whatever Faunus is living on the outskirts of your village is a criminal, a degenerate that threatens civil society. All Faunus must register with the local governor or else they are breaking the law, and even if the Faunus had been registered, in a year's time they would be obligated by law to move to the reservations anyway. Clearly, this particular Faunus is already breaking laws left and right, so it would be best if we arrest them and have them sent to the Faunus reservations sooner than later before they hurt someone." Confident that his logic was impeccable and that the woman now saw the importance of his mission, Beech raised a hand and was about to give an order when the woman cut in.

"First off, you serve the Schnee family directly, which means you're not provincial soldiers. They might be," —she said as she pointed to the soldiers borrowed from the Provincial Guard— "but since it looks like they're soldiers on loan, they have no more authority than your Schnee Guards. _That_ means none of you have the right to enter or search private property. You coming here and trying to enter my property without a writ from the magistrate is no different from breaking and entering, common burglary and trespassing. You have no legal standing."

Beech spluttered, "Preposterous! This pathetic little town of yours is within Schnee lands! That means the word of Lord Schnee is law. His orders _will_ be carried out."

"And that's where you're wrong. See, there's this thing called checks and balances. Yes, the Atlas council is made up of rich and influential people, but they're not all powerful. Yes, those rich people may hire guards to protect their lands and holdings, but that is restricted to their own private property. 'Schnee lands' is a very broad term, which you clearly don't understand. Yes, the Schnee family _governs_ this land, but they don't _own_ it. The Schnee can do all they want to the people living on the land that they own, but the rest of the territory falls under provincial management. If Lord Schnee wants to search private property, he has to appeal to a magistrate with evidence that wrongdoing is at play. If the magistrate agrees that there is ample evidence, they will then order the Provincial Guard—that is, sanctioned provincial soldiers, not just ones borrowed like yours—to carry out the search. No matter what, Lord Schnee's personal force, meaning your men, have no jurisdiction here."

He was flabbergasted. "You're joking," he said flatly. "The magistrate is in the pocket of the local governor who was appointed by the Schnee. There's no point to all of this unless…"—his eyes widened—"...unless you're caught up in something illegal. Who are you harboring? The bounty hunters? The rogue Faunus? Men, spread out and search! Find out what she's hidin—"

"You don't want to do that," the woman interrupted.

Beech flinched as he watched the woman's eyes bleed from lilac to a fiery red. A chill ran up his spine and a spark of fear coiled in his gut. The air grew dry and hot, as though he had just been thrown into a furnace. He glared at her. He would _not_ be intimidated by a woman, much less a peasant woman who knew more than she should. _This_ was why women should stay in the home and not be allowed to have jobs outside of sewing and other women's work. Otherwise they caused trouble for men like him, men who were only trying to do their jobs. He snapped at the soldiers hesitating behind him. "Don't listen to her! Go and search!"

"The first man to cross that fence isn't going to die, but I promise you that they're going to be in so much pain that they're going to wish they had." Every man grew still at her words. Not a single soul in the vicinity doubted that the woman meant what she said. "Me and my little sister live here alone. She's all I've got left so you better damn well believe I'm going to protect her. Sometimes that means making sure she's got enough food and rest. Other times that means making sure everyone knows that they can't just walk onto our property like they own the place. If you've got legal representation, then sure, I won't stop you—laws exist to protect people who can't protect themselves after all—but if you've got nothing then you better be on your way. This is your only warning."

* * *

Yang stood there with her arms crossed, meeting the eyes of every man who had the guts to look at her. She was boiling with rage. First she had to listen to that pompous tub of lard lie to her face, making up fantastic tales about bounty hunters and rogue Faunus, and then she had to listen to him insult her little sister. Over and over and _over_ again. Comparing her sweet little sister to a criminal just because she was a Faunus.

Well, she was done. Finished. No more listening, no more arguing. If he tried saying another word against the Faunus, against her _sister_ , she'd punch him so hard his gut and spine would switch places. Well, maybe not because then Ruby would get upset with her, but surely it'd be okay if she broke a few of his bones. A rib or two. Or maybe she ought to crack open his skull to see if there was actually a brain in there. Somehow she doubted it.

Did he seriously think that just because he was part of the Schnee's personal forces that he could do anything he wanted? Had the Schnees really grown that powerful, so powerful that they didn't even have to answer to laws created by the very council that gave them political clout to begin with? Yang knew the Schnees had been ruining life for the Faunus, but had their influence in fact spread far beyond that? It was a troubling thought.

_Oh, look at Mister Tub of Lard. He looks like he's about to burst a blood vessel. Well good. Maybe he'll do something stupid, and I can blow off some steam._

Yang kicked the remains of her axe away to ensure she didn't accidentally trip over it if things broke out into a fight. The action seemed to remind Mister Tub of Lard exactly where he was.

He raised a fat, shaking finger and growled, "You _will_ allow my men entry to your property. I will _not_ waste my time going to the magistrate when I'm already here, you stupid woman! If you insist on standing in my way, I will have you arrested!"

"Except you don't have the authority to do that either so I'd like to see you try. I'd certainly be within my rights to defend myself." _Come on, try it...you know you want to._

To her glee, he did. This was going to be fun.

"Enough of this," he snarled. "Get her and tie her up. We'll drop her off at the nearest prison as soon as we're finished here."

* * *

 _Well, that was quick_ , Yang thought to herself. _Twelve out of twenty, not bad; not bad at all. Guess there were a couple of them that actually had brains. Can't say as much for Mister Tub of Lard though_ , she thought as she eyed the unconscious officer with derision. He had unfortunately decided to charge her _before_ fully drawing his sword, and she'd taken him out with a single blow to the chin.

Yang shook her head almost sadly. They just didn't make soldiers—or guards, she supposed—the way they used to. Sparring with the Riders was more of a challenge than this, and those bouts were largely one-on-one matches.

Yang had wanted to burn off some steam, but this had been nothing but a let down. Well, no matter. What was more important was sending a clear message to these men: Here be a dragon's lair; trespass at your own risk. She wanted them beaten so badly that each of the soldiers here would head back with horror stories, causing anyone else to think twice about taking her on. She wanted them scared, so scared that they'd never come back to try to arrest her little sister again. Ruby was the one thing that made life worth living, and Yang was going to protect her. Period.

Most of the time, Yang considered herself an honorable person. She didn't lie, cheat, or steal. She kept every promise, no matter how small. She might avenge someone who had been wronged with what might be considered excessive vigor, but she never bullied anyone, least not anyone that didn't deserve it. She might tease someone a bit, but she always knew when to back off. If she made a mistake, she would apologize—maybe not right away but eventually it would happen. She was a little more pragmatic on the battlefield, but she would never be the first one to fight dirty unless it was a life or death situation.

As such, normally she would never use her Aura against opponents who didn't have their Auras unlocked. It just wasn't fair. Even the weakest Aura Warrior could take on at least five fighters who didn't have their Auras unlocked as long as he or she could generate a defensive Aura. For Yang, she was naturally strong but when she used her Aura to augment her strength, she was boulder-crushing, forest-felling, building-razing strong. There was a reason Aura warriors were usually treated with respect wherever they went, even if they weren't Grimm Huntsmen or Huntresses; to treat them otherwise would be flirting with death.

But right now, she really didn't care about any of that. All she cared about was keeping Ruby safe, and if that meant putting a bunch of Schnee guards through hell, then so be it.

Still, she figured she ought to give them at least one final warning. Really, it was Mister Tub of Lard who was the idiot and the rest of them shouldn't have to be punished too hard for having a pompous fool for a commander. They'd get in trouble for disobeying orders after all.

So she gave them another warning.

Yang reached deep inside to the heart of her power, feeling the familiar heat rush through her veins and spread outwards towards every nerve and muscle. She knew that her now crimson eyes were glowing and her golden hair was starting to flare like the sun. She could see the instant some of the soldiers realized what they were dealing with; they were the smart ones and halted their rush immediately. The others weren't so lucky.

At the last second, Yang's sense of fair play reasserted itself, and she pulled back her Aura so it only shielded her fists and forearms. That was fair since all her opponents had both weapons and armor. Yang didn't fancy having bruised and cut up knuckles after slamming her fists into metal armor if she didn't have to. Sure, she would heal right up in a few hours with her Aura, but it still hurt. Plus, Ruby would get upset at her for getting injured, and one of Yang's jobs as a big sister was to avoid doing that whenever possible. Within reason of course. Nothing was going to stop these men from getting a beating if they crossed that fence, something that they soon figured out for themselves.

The first four men over the fence came at her with spears. They were probably hoping to surround her at spearpoint to keep her in place until one of their comrades could tie her up. If she had been anyone else, it might have worked. Maybe. These guards looked rather young and a few of them didn't look all that confident with their weapons. More than likely, they were greenhorns who had gotten the short end of the stick when they got sent out with Mister Tub of Lard where there would be little chance of promotion. Yang could afford to go easy on them.

Yang grabbed the closest spear and smashed her fist just below the spearhead, snapping the wooden staff and leaving the guard with only a wooden stick. She yanked it from his grasp while he was still gaping and swung it at his closest companion. The wood met the young man's forearm with a resounding crack, and he dropped his weapon to cradle his now broken arm. Yang dodged the other two guards' spears when they tried to stab her and dropped her spear shaft directly onto the collarbone of the next closest guard. There was another crack, and the young man cried out in pain as he fell to his knees. The last man hesitated and that was all she needed to dart past his spear and ram her fist into his gut. She backed up quickly as he started vomit. Eww...now she'd have to clean the yard. A fresh wave of annoyance washed over her. The man whose spear she had broken earlier backed away instantly, but she wouldn't let him leave unscathed. He had crossed the fence, after all, and she had warned all of them not to. She tossed her makeshift weapon aside, darted towards him, and sent a rapid flurry of punches at the remaining man, making sure he felt each and every blow. A final spinning back kick sent the man flying back over the fence where he belonged. She didn't usually use kicks in battle but when she did, she made them count.

Mister Tub of Lard was practically frothing at the mouth. "Get her, you useless nincompoops! She's only one woman!"

Eight more men hopped the fence, but they were clearly unnerved after seeing the fates of their companions. Good. A scared man was a man half beat.

Yang gave the second batch no quarter. They had been warned twice already, once by her Aura flare and again after watching their companions go down. They no longer had any excuses for crossing her fence. Still, dealing with eight men at once was a little more tricky, especially since Yang still refused to use a defensive Aura on anything other than her hands and forearms. A few of the men got a couple of lucky hits—well, more like grazes—but she paid them back for it by teaching them how to fly eight feet through the air. She was generous like that. The rest of the men broke after seeing the fates of their companions, and she easily dispatched with them, one by one.

Now they were down to eight of originally twenty men, and Yang was mostly unscathed. She was even kind enough to return the injured men back to their side of the fence. When she was done tossing the last of her attackers back to where their unscathed companions were moving to treat the wounded, she backed up and crossed her arms.

"Are you done yet?" she asked cockily, though it did little to hide the anger still present in her voice.

Mister Tub of Lard practically turned purple as he barked out more stupid orders. "Forget about your spears! You've got a crossbow, use it! I'm sure she'll stop moving after we put a couple of bolts in her."

The man closest to Mister Tub of Lard—one of the men on loan from the Provincial Guard, she noted—spoke as he darted an uneasy glance over at Yang, "Sir, perhaps we should cut our losses, and take our wounded back while we still can."

"Are you questioning my orders, First Officer?" The threat in the fat man's voice was unmistakable.

The First Officer stiffened then looked at the injured men around him. Then he looked his commanding officer directly in the eye and said, "Yes, sir, and I'll take full responsibility for it. This mission has failed. Any more attempts would only leave more of my men injured, and we still have to march back down the mountain. We need every able bodied man to tend to the rest, and we won't have any left if they follow your orders. These are _my_ men, and it's my responsibility to keep them as safe as best I can. In this case, if that means stopping them from following any more stupid orders from an incompetent commander, then so be it."

"Your superior officers will be hearing about this insubordination, First Officer," the corporal growled.

"Good. Then I can report how you decided to send not only your men, but my men into a fight against an Aura warrior who was well within her rights to defend herself."

Mister Tub of Lard practically snarled and turned his attention to the nearest uninjured soldier. "Give me that," he demanded as he yanked the crossbow from the man's hands. He lowered the weapon, which was already cocked and loaded, and fired.

Yang flooded her body with a defensive Aura and the crossbow bolt appeared to bounce right off. However, in truth, though defensive Auras minimized or prevented actual injury, a warrior would still feel the pain of impact. The pain might be slightly muted depending on the strength of the warrior's Aura, but they would still feel it. In Yang's case, she had a lot of Aura so the bolt caused a sharp sting, like a bee sting, but nothing more.

All the men except for Mister Tub of Lard paled as they saw for the first time what they had truly been up against. At that moment, every single one of them realized that the only reason they were still alive was because this Aura warrior had been holding back this entire time and was _still_ holding back.

The same couldn't be said about Mister Tub of Lard though. He was too angry to be thinking rationally, Yang noted absentmindedly, and she resigned herself to having to deliver one more beating. Normally, she'd be all for a good brawl and smackdown, but this was just sad. She was surprised that the Schnees didn't get invaded and robbed every other day if this was the strength of their guards.

Mister Tub of Lard threw the ineffective crossbow aside and spurred his horse in a wide circle to pick up enough momentum to jump the low fence. Yang's eyes widened. Was he seriously going to try riding her down? The man had no sense of honor.

Yang waited calmly until the horse was almost to her before she sidestepped, grabbed hold of the man's stirrup, and yanked it hard. The man tumbled off the other side of his horse and hit the ground with a heavy thud as his horse rode away without him with a startled whinny. Snarling, he clumsily got back to his feet and charged at her while trying to draw his sword. His sword never even cleared its scabbard. Yang dove in, gave him one expertly aimed hit to the chin, and he went down like a wet sack of dirt.

Yang turned to the remaining men, laying her eyes on the First Officer. "I'll let two of your men over the fence, one to catch that horse and the other to drag your boss back to the other side of the fence. If they try any funny business, you're going to lose two more men and this time, I won't hold back."

The First Officer gave her a polite nod. "Understood, ma'am. I'm terribly sorry this had to happen in the first place. Hains, get the horse. Greenwood, collect Corporal Beech. The rest of you, finish tending to the wounded, and we'll ride out as soon as you're done."

It took a good chunk of time, but eventually they all cleared out.

Sighing, Yang released her defensive Aura and took deep breath, only to regret it instantly. "Aww, man...I should have made them clean up the vomit before they left…"

* * *

The moment Yang stepped back into the cabin, she was met with a full-bodied tackle and a squeezing embrace. She grunted from the impact but barely budged an inch. She wrapped her arms around the small cloaked figure and squeezed back. "I'm fine. I could have beaten those men half-asleep."

Ruby nodded into Yang's shirt and pulled away, however not before she signed, _I'm sorry_.

Yang scowled at her little sister. "Oh, no you don't." She had to nip this in the bud right away. She grabbed Ruby by the shoulders and forced the girl to meet her eyes. Her words were soft but firm. "Listen. None of this was your fault, at all. You didn't do anything wrong; in fact, I'm proud of you. You saw someone that needed help, and you helped them. You did something good. Lots of people wouldn't have bothered, but you did. That's worth way more than dealing with a little harassment from a handful of misguided soldiers. Got it?" Yang didn't let her sister go until the smaller girl finally nodded. "Good." She reached under her sister's hood and ruffled the girl's hair, being careful not to be too rough with her wolf ears.

"What did they want?" Weiss Schnee, the central figure of this whole mess, asked from further inside the cabin. It looked like Ruby had made the noble some tea while they had been waiting, but both mugs looked untouched.

Yang gave Ruby's head one last ruffle, before she seated herself at the table. Ruby, ever sensitive to the needs of others, grabbed a clean mug, filled it with ale, and gave it to Yang. Yang gave her a grin of thanks and downed it in one go. As she was enjoying the cool beverage, she felt a damp cloth wiping away the residual blood from the handful of cuts she got earlier. She put down her mug and took the damp towel from her little sister's hand. "I got it, Ruby. Thanks." The girl nodded, took a moment to refill Yang's mug, and then sat down next to her. Weiss seemed to deliberate for a moment before she, too, seated herself.

Yang took a few moments to clean up and toss the towel into a water-filled basin to soak before she answered Weiss's question. "They were looking for a group of bounty hunters who apparently kidnapped Lord Schnee's daughter yesterday as she was being transported home."

A look of disbelief crossed the young noble's face. "Bounty hunters?"

"Yep." Yang looked at her sister. "Did they even see you yesterday or are just making things up?"

Ruby shrugged then shook her head.

"So you don't think so but you're not sure," Yang interpreted for Weiss. "Well, it seems they couldn't believe that they'd been bested by a single attacker, much less a little girl, and decided to hedge the details a bit."

Weiss just shook her head. "So they really were looking for me. And my kidnapper, I suppose," she said, glancing at Ruby.

"Kidnappers," Yang corrected, emphasizing the 's.' "We gotta stick with the official story so that we remember it when they come around asking questions again. If they're brave enough, that is." Yang blinked as she remembered something. "By the way, beloved little sister of mine, I sort of, kind of, maybe accidentally broke another axe handle earlier…think you could replace it for me when you've got a chance?" she asked sheepishly.

Ruby gave an audible huff of air as she shook her head in exasperation.

"Hey, this time it wasn't entirely my fault! They made me mad." Ruby just patted her sister on the shoulder and signed that she'd fix it later, to which Yang beamed and scooped her sister up in a hug. "Thanks! Knew I could count on you."

Weiss asked dryly, "This happens often?"

"Eh, once in a while," Yang answered while Ruby nodded fervently beside her.

"Why am I not surprised?"

Yang glanced suspiciously at the other two sitting at the table. "Are you two ganging up on me?"

"Perish the thought," Weiss said as Ruby shook her head. Yang eyed both of them doubtfully.

"If we could get back to the point at hand?" Weiss continued with a roll of her eyes at the other woman's antics. "What did you tell the soldiers?"

"That I didn't know anything about any bounty hunters or Lord Schnee's daughter," Yang said blandly.

"So you outright lied to them."

"Excuse me," Yang huffed in mock offense, "I did no such thing. They asked about bounty hunters. There _weren't_ any bounty hunters to begin with; they just made that up. And while they asked about Lord Schnee's daughter, they didn't mention which daughter. It's not my fault if I assumed they were talking about the older one. They're the ones who didn't mention any names."

Yang blinked in shock as a faint smile turned up the corners of the noble's usually flat or frowning lips. "Clever," the other woman said after that smile vanished as quickly as it had come, making Yang feel as though she must have imagined it. She didn't think the noble even knew how to smile.

"Anyway," Yang said, "what I don't get is how they knew to come here. I really doubt any of them caught a good glimpse of Ruby yesterday and even if they did, all they would have seen was her brown cloak. Kind of hard to go searching for someone with a plain brown cloak. It's not exactly rare. Every family owns at least one or two of them."

Weiss frowned as she thought. "Perhaps one of the soldiers from yesterday went to the nearby village for information, or perhaps the Riders' Keep?"

Yang was already shaking her head. "No one from the keep would have squealed even if they did recognize a description of Ruby."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because our uncle is one of the Aura warriors stationed there for one thing. For another, they're all sort of like honorary uncles for us. Our Uncle Qrow's saved just about every man stationed there at least once or twice so when he needed help looking out for me and Ruby when our parents were gone, all the Riders stepped in and took turns to check up on us at least once every few days. None of them would ever give us away like that, not without checking with us first. Plus, all of them really dote on Ruby, especially after she started going to the keep for sword lessons. They're all super proud at how good she's gotten, and they know her well enough to know that she would never use her skills against other people without having a very good reason for it."

"Well, what about the village? That's the only other place they could have gone for information, right? If I recall correctly, the nearby village is fairly isolated."

"No, none of the villagers would ever...wait…." She let out a loud groan. "I take that back. Any of the villagers who've lived here for the past six years or longer wouldn't have said anything. I'm pretty sure most of the newer residents wouldn't have said anything either, but there's one guy who doesn't really like me and he might have said something. In fact, I'm pretty sure he did say something."

Weiss raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow, "Pray tell, whatever did you do to earn his ire?"

"He asked me out and when he didn't take no for an answer, I got a little rough with him. That should have been the end of it, but one day I found him harassing Ruby. Apparently his ego couldn't handle being turned down by a woman, but he didn't have the guts to face me directly so he tried picking on my baby sister instead. I took offense, gave him the beating of his life, and he's hated me ever since."

Yang clenched her fists and felt her pulse rise as she grew more and more positive of who to blame for sending soldiers all the way up here on a false lead in an attempt to get an innocent Faunus arrested. It had to be Slater, the man who took over the butcher shop a few years back. Yang started seeing red. The innocent Faunus he had targeted was her baby sister, and his actions could have gotten her arrested.

A thought that she had purposely tried hard not to think about earlier came rushing back. They would have taken Ruby away from her. They would have _stolen_ her baby sister from her. This could not stand. Someone had to pay for this. Someone would pay for this. And she knew just who to set her sights on. She took a deep breath to try to quell her temper. _Later_ , she told herself. _I can let myself get mad later when I deal with him face-to-face._

That was when Yang noticed that Ruby was clinging to her arm, and Weiss was glancing at her nervously. The moment Yang's eyes met her gaze, she quickly looked away, suddenly appearing very interested at something on the far wall. Yang's eyes must have turned red again as her temper rose. She'd heard looking into her eyes when she was mad was pretty intimidating. Oops.

Yang took another deep breath and gently shook Ruby off. "Sorry about that. I'm fine."

 _No, you're not. What's wrong?_ Her sister signed rapidly.

Yang wasn't about to tell Ruby that she was planning to go on a raging rampage of vengeance later. Her little sister definitely wouldn't approve. Sometimes Yang wondered if the girl could even feel the kind of anger that would drive someone to get revenge; if so, Yang had never seen it. In fact, the little wolf rarely even got angry—annoyed, sure, but never actually angry. Still, Yang knew her stubborn little sister wouldn't let this go so Yang decided to share at least half of the truth with her. The important half. The half that would be sure to keep Yang awake at night if she thought too hard about it.

When Yang opened her mouth to say the words, they suddenly felt chokingly heavy and seemed lodged in the back of her throat. She licked her dry lips and did her best to contain the sudden terror flowing through her. "Those soldiers, they—" Yang fought to keep her voice steady, "—they would have taken you away. They were here to _arrest_ you. If they'd caught you—" She didn't even need to finish her sentence. Ruby knew better than anyone what would have happened if they'd caught her. She would be forced to live in one of those prisons laughingly called "reservations" as though they were meant to protect their inhabitants, and then she'd eventually be sent off to work in a Dust mine.

It scared Yang how easy it would be. All the enemy needed to do was call in a couple of Aura warriors to distract Yang while they sent men after Ruby. While Yang was more than certain Ruby could outrun them if she had to—her Semblance was speed, after all—the girl would never abandon Yang; she loved her big sister too much and the feeling was downright mutual.

Ruby threw herself into Yang's arms, as though sensing just how much Yang needed to feel her right now to reassure herself that her baby sister was safe and sound. The smaller girl pulled away briefly only to sign, _I'm fine. I'm safe. I'm right here, all thanks to you. You protected me, Yang. Thank you. Thank you for always protecting me._

"Of course," Yang choked out as she felt a few tears leak from her eyes, "I'll always protect you. No one's ever gonna touch you if I'm around." She clutched at Ruby, who had snuggled back into her arms after signing what she wanted to say. She felt Ruby turn her head and nuzzle her cheek as she rubbed Yang's back the way Yang often did for her. Slowly, Yang calmed back down, taking comfort in her sister's presence—the warmth of her hug, and the smell of earth and roses that always seemed to accompany the smaller girl. When her tears had fully receded, she pulled back just enough to shift Ruby so that she was sitting on her lap. Yang then wrapped her arms around her baby sister protectively. After that scare, Yang wasn't quite ready to let the girl go, and she knew Ruby was always open for cuddles.

When it was clear Yang had more or less pulled herself together, Weiss's voice broke the silence. "I'm sorry." The noble's utter remorse made her usually strong, forceful tone sound uncharacteristically timid. "If your sister hadn't stepped in to save me…"

Yang didn't let her finish. "Nope. None of that. If we're blaming anyone for anything, we're blaming whoever decided they could point those soldiers up this way. If it hadn't been for them, I'm pretty sure no one would even think to come up here."

Weiss didn't look entirely convinced, but she didn't attempt to argue any further.

Yang ran her fingers through her hair, thinking hard. So far they had been reactive rather than proactive, which wasn't her style at all. She hated being on the defensive side of things, having to wait for trouble to come before dealing with it. She'd much rather go out and meet trouble head on—destroy the threat before it even became a threat—and right now, there was a definite threat. Someone in the village had sent soldiers up here in a clear attack against her Faunus sister. There was no way she was going to let this slide, but at the same time, she didn't want to risk leaving Ruby here alone lest those soldiers failed to learn their lesson and send reinforcements. In fact, they should probably clear out entirely for a while and conveniently, here was a noble in need of help.

Yang turned to the girl in her lap abruptly and asked, " Well, what do you think? Should we help Weiss out? It'll be a long trip, farther than we've ever been before."

Ruby didn't even stop to think about it. She just nodded, and Yang grinned.

Yang mentally made a to-do list in her head. Deal with the threat in Patch. Make sure the other villagers knew that she and Ruby would be away for a while. Before doing so, make sure Ruby and Weiss are someplace safe. Get things together for a long journey. Let Uncle Qrow know so he could look after their place while they were gone. Take Ruby to her mother's grave because Ruby always liked to visit before leaving on longer trips. Leave before any soldiers come back again. All in all, a simple list. Most of it she could get done today if she got moving. It was still early.

"Wait, what?" Weiss said, looking utterly shocked. "You agree, just like that? What about payment? And guidelines? A contract!"

Yang waved her hand lazily. "We'll figure all that stuff out later. Don't get your panties in a bunch."

The noble turned pink. "Why you uncouth, ill-mannered, boorish oaf!"

Yang blinked. "Well, that's a new one." She set Ruby up on her feet and stood up herself. "Come on, Princess, let's get you at least partially equipped for the journey." She motioned Weiss to follow her.

"Don't call me that," the white-haired noble muttered yet again as she did as she was told.

"Ruby," Yang called back, "I'm sending you and Weiss up to the cave while I get things ready for the journey. I don't want either of you to be here in case those soldiers come back sooner than expected. Pack a basket of food enough to last for at least three days, just in case I can't make it out there right away, and get your usual travel kit together. I'll take care of getting Weiss set up so just focus on your stuff."

Ruby nodded and got to work.

"This way, Princess."

"One of these days, I'm going to smack you for calling me that."

"Ooh, how violent. So unbecoming of a lady."

The wordless screech of annoyance that followed was music to Yang's ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So it’s come to my attention from several readers that I kinda overdid it with Yang’s over-the-top, trailer-esque, idiot-thumping, fight scene. I originally intended it to be a bit of an homage to the actual RWBY show (because I kinda felt like Yang thumping idiots is such an integral part of her character that she should get at least one scene dedicated to it.) If you’re one of the readers who felt like it was too much, rest assured that all other action scenes from here on out will be treated much more seriously. (Just treat the scene as a flagrant example of early installment weirdness, because I can assure you it gets better.) I may at some point come back to revise this chapter, but for now I’d rather focus on progressing the story. 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading, and I really hope this chapter didn’t put you off enough that you decided to drop the story.


	6. A Dragon’s Fury

Jerl Slater was cleaning a heavy cleaver when the door to his shop suddenly slammed open. A sweltering, torrid, oppressive wave of heat rushed in, chasing out the autumn chill in an instant. Sweat poured from his body and his eyes began to burn from the dry, hot air.

However, despite the incredible heat, Slater's blood still ran cold when he heard a certain voice call out in a deceptively playful manner. "Oh, Slaaater, I'm here for a chat. A certain someone's been a naughty boy." A familiar, golden-haired young woman stepped into the butcher's shop. Her usually lilac eyes were crimson. This was not good.

Slater swallowed nervously, vividly remembering the last time he'd had the misfortune of seeing those eyes. He'd been laid up for over a month, his body in so much pain that he could barely manage getting out of bed just to find food. The blood rushed from his face, making him feel weak and shaky. His hands were trembling badly enough that he had to put the cleaver down lest he accidentally hurt himself with it. He tried to speak but for some reason, the words seemed stuck. He licked his dry lips with an equally dry tongue before trying again. His voice came out in a weak squeak before it evened out, though it sounded a bit higher than usual. "Yang."

"Oh, no you don't. You've lost any privilege to call me by name. And I'm sure you know why, don't you?" The woman crossed her arms and waited for an answer.

Slater scowled in an attempt to cover his fear. "Listen girl, I don't know what you think I've done, but you can't just go around accusing people of—" Another wave of heat slammed into him, and he took an unwitting step back.

"Yesterday, a group of soldiers came through town," the woman said coldly. "Mostly Schnee Guards though there may have been a few men in Provincial Guard uniforms. They had just been set upon by so-called bandits and wanted information. Ring any bells?"

He snorted uneasily, while inwardly wondering how in the Dust she had found out so fast. "That's why you're here? Yeah, I talked to them. Those men talked to everyone." He tried to remind himself that she had no proof as he attempted relax his tightly wound fists to no avail. Every muscle in his body was stretched tight, like his fight or flight reaction was poised and ready to tip in either direction, and it was utterly ridiculous. This girl was nearly ten years his junior. So why did he have this overwhelming feeling of dread growing in the pit of his stomach?

"What did you tell them?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

"Wrong answer."

Suddenly, Slater found himself slammed into the wall that separated the shop from the living quarters in the back. Yang wrapped her hand in the front of his shirt and lifted him almost entirely off the ground. He scrabbled at her hand, trying to get her to let go, but it was as if her fist and arm were made of stone. "Let go of me, you crazy woman! This is assault!"

She repeated again, "What did you tell them?"

"Nothing! Just that if there were bandits, they'd be hiding out in the mountains!" A fist smashed into the wall next to Slater's head with a loud crack. He went wide-eyed when he realized the woman had punched a hole straight through the wall. Sure, the walls were only made of wood, but even he doubted he could punch through a wall without breaking his fist. Another cold shiver ran through him as he slowly began to realize he might not walk away from this alive.

"Don't lie to me," the woman with burning crimson eyes snarled. "You told them that there was a 'rogue' Faunus living up there—that the Faunus was probably working with the bandits—didn't you?"

When Slater didn't answer right away, Yang drew her fist back again and this time, he could tell it was aimed right for his face. He panicked. "Alright, alright already! Yes! I told them there was a Faunus up there! What's wrong with that? It's true, isn't it? That hooded freak you call your sister isn't even human. She's nothing but an animal. She shouldn't even be here living amongst us humans."

A fist buried itself deep in his gut before he was thrown unceremoniously into the center of the room. When he hit the stone floor, all he could do was lay there, writhing in pain and trying not to throw up. The sound of other footsteps forced him to look up. He paled. Several of the villagers streamed in, all looking grave or upset.

"There you have it," Yang's angry voice rang out from somewhere behind him. "This pile of dirt tried to get my sister arrested."

Slater coughed as he struggled to his knees. "Lies," he rasped. "All lies. She threatened me into answering."

The portly man who ran the local tavern, Renet Keeper, crossed his arms and glanced at Yang once before looking back at Slater. "While I don't condone how she got her answer, Yang isn't a liar. She's headstrong and has a temper, but I know she wouldn't do something like this without reason."

"It's easy enough to check," said the oldest member of the group, a grey-haired old lady whose name Slater couldn't quite remember. He knew she was a village Elder, but that was about it. "We can send a runner to the Riders' Keep and ask one of them to check with the soldiers who came by yesterday. They won't talk to us village folk, but soldiers love to gossip amongst themselves. Helps that Qrow Branwen is in town. He'd find out for sure."

Who in Dust's name was Qrow Branwen? Then, Slater remembered hearing from someone a while ago that Yang had an uncle or something in the Riders. They had him. Even if he continued to profess his innocence, the moment they got an answer from the Riders, everything would come crumbling down.

Suddenly, he was angry. Why should he have to go through all this trouble just because he did the right thing and reported an unregistered Faunus? He was sure there were others who probably wanted to do the same thing. The only difference was he was the only one with the guts to do it.

"What's it to you, anyway?" he demanded. "Why're you all here in my shop? This ain't none of your business." Slater wobbled to his feet with one hand resting against his bruised stomach.

"Are you daft, man? Discord between villagers will always be village business," Vera Weaver, the village's tart-tongued seamstress retorted. "If there's bad blood in the village, it'll attract the Grimm. Just because we're just outside a Riders' Keep doesn't mean we get to be stupid. Problems need to be solved before they fester into something worse, and we have a Grimm invasion on our hands." The others murmured in agreement. "So talk. What's going on here? Why'd you tell them soldiers about little Ruby?"

Slater glared at her, feeling stubborn. "It ain't none of your business," he said again, "so unless you've got work for me, get out of my shop."

An angry rumble rippled the air behind him and a heavy hand gripped his thin shoulder painfully. He yelped as he was spun around and lifted off the ground once more. As he felt his skin tighten and dry, he realized for the first time that all the heat in the room was emanating off of none other than the furious golden-haired woman in front of him. Being this close to her was like standing way too close to a fire. He gulped in spite of himself. What was wrong with this woman? Her color changing eyes were freaky enough, but being able to generate heat like this? It wasn't normal.

"That's where you're wrong. What happens here is everyone's business," Yang all but growled. "Let me fill you in a little bit on local matters. See, the local Riders are actually understaffed. They've only got about five teams of six Riders—that's only thirty men total. That's small considering even the smallest keeps usually house at least fifty members, but Patch is off the beaten trail so it doesn't warrant as much protection as the more frequently traveled roadways. Those thirty men have about sixty miles to patrol in either direction, north to south, and if they ever needed reinforcements, the closest Rider keep is about a hundred miles away. By the time a messenger pigeon gets there and they send help, Patch could already be entirely wiped off the face of Remnant. If anything really bad happens, this place is on its own."

Yang finally dropped Slater, who scurried backwards to get away from her. "Something else to know: the Riders here aren't the best in the bunch. Sure, they're good people who mean well and they've got some decent weapon skills, but weapon skills alone mean nothing against the Grimm. Have you ever faced a Grimm head on? No? Well, let me tell you, they're tough. You could swing a battle axe into a Grimm and still barely break through its thick, black hide. If you're unlucky, you'd hit one of their bony white plates and do no damage at all. The only surefire way to do damage is to channel your Aura to strengthen your blow.

"Oh, but wait, aren't Aura warriors outside of Grimm Huntsmen and Huntresses rare?" Yang asked satirically. "Why yes—yes, they are. Great job for noticing that."

Slater managed to rustle up enough bravado to growl, "What's your point?" He couldn't quite meet those angry crimson eyes though.

All hints of joking vanished from Yang's voice. "My point, you idiot, is that the local Riders' Keep only has four Riders who can use their Aura at all, meaning they can put up a defensive Aura in a pinch but not much else. They don't have enough Aura to be able to use it offensively, meaning even if they can survive a Grimm attack, they don't really have the means to drive it away or kill it unless they get really, really lucky. My uncle's the only one who there who can be considered a true Aura warrior; in fact, he used to be a registered Huntsman. He only quit so he could stay nearby to watch over me and my sister when our parents died.

"So how is it, do you think, that a single ex-Huntsman can cover the entire area of Patch while also constantly being forced to patrol about sixty miles of road regularly?" When Slater didn't answer, Yang did for him. "The answer? He can't. So how is it that Patch hasn't had any major Grimm attacks in the past several years?"

Slater shrugged uncomfortably, not liking where this conversation was going. "How am I supposed to know?"

The crimson-eyed woman just shook her head and stalked away, rapidly clenching and unclenching her fists as she muttered under her breath.

The old, grey-haired woman answered, "Yang and Ruby's parents were Huntsmen as well and when they passed away, their children eventually took up their mantle to protect us from any Grimm that wandered too close to the village. The village tax that you pay into every month? A small part of that goes to the girls whenever they slay any Grimm near the village. It's nowhere near the amount they'd get if they were fully licensed Grimm Huntresses, but still they go out and fight for us."

Yang stopped in front of Slater jerkily and shoved a finger in his face. "That's right. The reason you're safe, the reason any of the people here are safe, is because my little sister is amazing. Even though it was humans who hurt her, stole her voice, and made her scared to walk around in public without her cloak, she decided to use the skills she learned to protect herself to protect everyone. And you tried to get her arrested!" She turned to everyone else in the room. "He told them that there was a rogue Faunus living up in the mountains and the next morning, twenty armed men were at our doorstep."

Yale Turner, a thick-set, heavily muscled man around Slater's own age, turned to Slater in disbelief and anger. "Are you mad? Why would you go and do a thing like that? What'd Ruby ever do to you?"

"I was doing my duty as an Atlas citizen!" Slater burst out, fuming. "That girl's a freak, always hiding under that ugly hood. I _knew_ something was wrong with her, but no one would tell me what. Well, I found out on my own—she ain't human. I didn't know about all the Grimm hunting business, but it doesn't change the fact that she's not supposed to be here. I checked. She was supposed to go to them reservations over a year ago."

"How?" came a voice so cold, so utterly emotionless that Slater paled.

He shot a nervous glance at the crimson-eyed woman in front of him. "H-how what?" He couldn't quite mask the shaking in his voice.

"How. Did. You. Find. Out?" Each word was like a drop of ice, sending chills up his spine.

"Must've heard it from someone," he mumbled. A foot smashed into his shin and he screamed.

"Don't lie. You just said no one told you she was a Faunus. Did you force her hood off against her will? Did you put your filthy hands on my little sister?!"

Yang must have seen the answer in his face because the next moment, she had hauled him up and she slammed her fist into his face. Slater screamed again as his nose crunched and blood came pouring out. As soon as she dropped him, he scooted backwards, desperately trying to get away from her.

Tears poured from his eyes as he clutched his face. He coughed and tasted blood in his mouth. "What the hell's wrong with you, you crazy woman?! Are you all just going to stand there and let her assault me?"

Turner cracked his knuckles. "I dunno. I kinda want to give you a few ouchies myself. Little Ruby's the one that saved my family from starving a couple years back. A late spring frost wiped out our fields, and we had to use up all our savings to buy new seed. The same thing happened to the Plowmans, the Gardners, and the Boroughs. After we bought our new seed, we didn't even have enough lien to pay for food. We were starving ourselves trying to make what little we had left stretch so we could at least feed the little ones. When Yang and Ruby came back from one of their trips out of Patch and heard about what happened, they showed up later that night to each of our families with a rabbit, duck, or string of fish for us. And they kept coming back, keeping us from starving until the first harvest was in. A small basket of berries, wild onions or carrots, a small sack of oats or potatoes." He glanced at Yang. "Firewood, and it was all free of charge. Neither of them asked for a single lien back."

"Those two girls shamed us all," Keeper said softly. "We're a community and we ought to be helping each other, but early spring is tough on everyone when we're all trying to make things stretch until the first harvest comes in, so we pretended not to notice how badly our neighbors were suffering."

Turner straightened. "Didn't mean to go pointing fingers. You all started pitching in where you could soon enough."

"But it shouldn't have taken the sacrifices of two young girls, who have it harder than all of us, to force us to take action," the grey-haired woman said.

Turner crossed his arms as he glared at Slater. "Ruby's been through far more than a girl her age should've. She shouldn't have to deal with you, too. If I ever see you anywhere near her again, I'll give you a beating you won't forget, and that's before I report you to Yang."

Slater couldn't believe it. The girl was a _Faunus_ , yet everyone here was taking her side, judging by the way they were all looking at him with various degrees of disgust.

"You all can't be serious," he said, wincing through his broken nose. "She's an illegal Faunus. An animal!" Why didn't they get it? Why was he the one getting manhandled and berated when she was the one breaking the law? Sure, maybe she did some good things, but a thief was a thief even if they one day stole medicine to save someone who couldn't afford it.

They were all mad. Insane. Fools. Or maybe they were just getting tricked by that Faunus girl, like a hound that seemed friendly enough but when you went to pet it, it tried to bite off your arm. That must be it. They couldn't really be on that animal's side; they were human like him. Yes, that had to be it. They were all being duped, and he was the only one who could see the truth. Everyone knew the Faunus couldn't be trusted after all.

* * *

Yang couldn't take it anymore. It was clear that the man felt no remorse, no guilt for anything he'd done. If shaming him wasn't going to work, then Yang had no problem resorting to threats. Anything to keep her little sister safe. She took a single step in Slater's direction and felt a dark sense of glee to see him flinch and cower.

Lily Miller, one of the village Elders and the one person in Patch that Yang went to for advice when Uncle Qrow wasn't around, cautioned, "Yang. Calm down. You do any more damage to that man, and we'll be forced to step in. If you want justice, you're going to have to take a step back and let us deal with this."

"Maybe I don't care about justice anymore," Yang growled as she turned her crimson eyes onto the old woman.

"You do or else you wouldn't have called us all here. Let us do what we came here for. You got your revenge, one hit for spreading falsehoods about your sister and one for approaching her—"

"—scaring her," Yang interrupted.

"Scaring her," Elder Lily agreed as she moved closer to Yang, "and approaching her without her consent. Let the rest go."

Elder Lily took the young woman's arm and attempted to draw her away from Slater. Yang resisted for a brief moment before she gave an angry huff and let herself be moved to the far side of the room. The other villagers shifted so that they formed a human wall between the two opposing parties. They all knew they'd never actually be able to stop Yang if she really wanted to go after Slater again, but they hoped that she wasn't so angry that she'd be willing to hurt others just to get to her target.

"Jerl Slater," Elder Lily said, "do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Slater straightened as best he could from his position on the floor, not wanting to risk getting up in case it set off Yang again. "You all haven't traveled as far as I have. You haven't heard the things I've heard or seen the things I've seen. Town criers don't come out to small villages like Patch; they only stick to the bigger towns on the main roads. Eleven human towns were attacked by those animals that make up the White Fang in the past year, and government officials were murdered in their beds. Innocent humans were killed left and right, and whole families had their entire livelihoods stolen away. Storehouses were raided, livestock were stolen, houses were sacked. I've heard the whispers. Everyone's saying that the Faunus living in those towns were passing information to the White Fang, telling them how to slip in unnoticed and where all the government officials lived and worked.

"And then when the Atlas Council set up those Faunus reservations to protect those thankless animals against people who wanted revenge, even giving them free homes and jobs to boot, the White Fang only stepped up their attacks. They say that they want equality, but all they really want is to get rid of all humans." Slater glared at everyone in the room. "Mark my words, protecting that Faunus freak is a mistake. When it comes down to them or us, she'll side with them no matter how well you've treated her. She's not one of us, not _human_. Send her to the reservations and you won't have to worry about getting stabbed in the back. It's not like she has the right to complain about it even if she could; she'll be getting a free ride."

Despite his impassioned speech, Slater flinched when Yang took a furious step towards him.

"Why you stupid…" Yang was so angry she couldn't even get the words out. Was that how the Atlas Council was spinning it? That they were _protecting_ the Faunus by setting up the reservations? That the Faunus were being given free homes and jobs? Did people not know that the Faunus were being _drafted_ to work in the Dust mines and that hundreds of them were dying every year? And what about the armed soldiers that constantly patrolled the reservations to ensure none of the Faunus could escape once they had been brought there?

"Yang, outside. Now." Elder Lily reached out a hand as if to guide Yang again like before but pulled her hand back quickly as though she'd been burned.

That was when Yang knew she really had to calm down before she burned the entire place down. With a guttural growl, Yang stomped outside and around the side of the building where she knew the well was. Over and over she drew up buckets of cool, almost borderline cold well water and dumped them over her head until the water stopped evaporating on contact.

Elder Lily had followed her out and quietly stood nearby until the younger woman had finished her impromptu bath. Then she said softly, "Talk to me, child. Get it off your chest."

Yang struggled to find the words. "That piece of trash threatened my little sister. If she had been home alone, she could have gotten arrested and taken away, and I would've never known until it was too late. I _can't_ let him get away with it. My duty is to keep my sister safe and right now, that piece of trash is making her unsafe. She goes out once, sometimes even twice a month to hunt Grimm to protect this village, but she's not even safe here! I swore— _swore_ to her that I'd never let anyone hurt her anymore, and that's a promise I _will_ keep, no matter what it takes." When Yang finally lifted her crimson gaze, she was almost shocked out of her anger to see the remorse in the old woman's eyes.

"I'm so sorry none of us noticed this happening," Elder Lily said. "You're right. After all the two of you have done for the village, we should have noticed what was going on sooner."

Yang blinked, her eyes flickering back to lilac for a moment, and then ducked her head with a heavy sigh. She rolled her head back, closing her eyes as she rubbed the back of her neck. "No, it's not your fault or anyone else's fault. If anything, it's my fault. I'm the one who pissed him off badly enough to go looking for trouble, and he ended up finding Ruby to use as a tool for his anger. It's not right for me to blame the village, not when I already decided a long time ago that Ruby is mine to protect and mine alone. She's too important for me to entrust to anyone else ever again." When she opened her eyes again, they stayed lilac.

The unspoken message in Yang's words caused Elder Lily to close her eyes in pain. The village had let Yang down once before; they had broken faith with her so now, she trusted no one but herself.

Watching the sadness and pain in the other woman caused Yang to exhale again. "For what it's worth," she said, looking away, "Patch is a good place and it's filled with mostly good people. People so good that none of you see the bad in outsiders and newcomers because it's just not in your nature. You welcome everyone because you have no reason to suspect anyone is anything other than what they appear to be, because the people that live here are like that. In a perfect world, it'd be a great thing. Unfortunately, the world isn't perfect and you get people like Slater."

Elder Lily gazed measuringly at Yang for so long that she started to squirm. Finally, the old woman said, "You know, there's so much of Summer in both you and Ruby. She would've been so proud of seeing the women you've become." She waited a beat before adding, "And Taiyang would've been proud as well."

Yang stiffened at that last one. Her jaw tightened, but she said nothing. Feeling uncomfortable, she changed the subject, "So if I walk back into the butcher's shop, are you going to stop me?"

Yang's eyes flickered back to red as she remembered the subject of her ire. This time though, she held her anger back to a simmer instead of letting it reach a furious boil. Right now wasn't the moment for reckless rage. People always said that revenge was a dish best served cold after all. She had already accomplished her main goal. The man's life in Patch would be ruined after this if they even let him stay. No one would trust someone who might turn on them without warning. She just needed to put the last few nails in the coffin to make sure this event stayed good and dead.

"Can you promise me you won't take matters in your own hands again?"

Yang's reply was blunt. "Not if he says or does something stupid. He can insult me all he likes, but if he says anything else against Ruby, I can't be held responsible for what I do. Same goes for if he tries to physically attack me."

The older woman gave a sigh. "I can't possibly stop you. Just let me warn him first. Wait here until I call you in." She walked back into the shop and after a few moments, waved Yang in.

Yang entered the shop to see Slater standing with a rag pressed just under his broken nose to catch the blood. The man stiffened as soon as he saw Yang in the doorway. He opened his mouth as if to say something but when Yang turned her crimson glare on him, his words seemed to die in his throat and he swallowed nervously.

Yang spoke to Slater, her voice hard. "I expect you'll be called in for a village meeting someday soon so the villagers can hear your crimes and vote on your punishment. I don't care what they decide. Regardless of what happens, even if the villagers decide you deserve a second chance and can stay in Patch, you're not welcome anywhere near our cabin, and you can find somewhere else to get firewood. You won't be getting a single sliver of kindling from me ever again. Furthermore, if anything unexpected ever happens again, if any more soldiers conveniently show up on our doorstep, if one shutter at our cabin is broken, if one fence has collapsed, if anything on our property is ever out of place when we get back at the end of the day, I'm blaming it on you. You've been warned, and everyone here knows you've been warned. Don't you dare try to test me."

The piece of trash had the nerve to stutter, "T-that's not fair!"

Yang lost it. "Not fair? Not _fair_? I'll tell you what's not fair. Not fair is my little sister going out and risking her life to kill monsters all to protect a little piece of utter human waste like you! You think hunting Grimm is easy? It's _scary_. It's _dangerous_. Every single time we go out there, we run the risk of never coming back. And we don't come out unscathed all the time, you know. It hurts to be bashed into a tree by an Ursa's paw or slashed by a Beowolf. But she goes out anyway even though she _knows_ you don't think of her like a person. Not fair is my little sister growing up not knowing her mother and losing her father soon after. Not _fair_ is her getting attacked by human monsters like you when she was barely ten years old and still having to suffer from it today."

She stomped towards the man, backing him up against the wall. When Renet Keeper made a move as if to stop her, she snapped, "I'm not going to touch him."

She turned her attention back to her target, dropping her voice so only he could hear her. "You listen, and you listen good. This is your final chance. If I even hear a hint of you doing anything to put me or my little sister in danger again, if you ever breathe a word to anyone about her being here and someone comes looking for her, I'm going to know it was you, and I'm gonna go after you." She leaned down closer, her words barely above a whisper. "They still haven't found the bodies of the last group of humans who dared to hurt my sister. I can easily make sure yours disappears just like theirs. And just so you know I'm not joking…"

Yang wandered over to the man's butchering station and picked up the heavy cleaver that was laying on the counter. She twirled it slowly in her hand, making sure Slater saw it as she walked back until she was standing before him again. "I've already had to teach this lesson once to a handful of idiots, but I'll do it again. There's a reason people treat Aura warriors with respect, and not only because they have the strength to exterminate Grimm." Yang drew on her Semblance, knowing that her hair was now glowing, concentrating it on the cleaver in her hand until its wooden handle suddenly erupted in flames.

Everyone in the room stared at Yang who was now holding the burning brand in her bare hand. She let them watch for a moment longer before she turned the heat and fire of her soul onto the blade. The metal turned from a dull red, to a hot orange, to an eye-smarting yellowish white as it started to melt and deform in her hand. She let the molten metal drip through her fingers onto the floor, barely inches away from Slater's worn, somewhat holey leather shoes. The man freaked out, slamming his back into the wall to avoid the droplets, and she wrinkled her nose as she noticed that he had lost control of his bowels. As the last few pieces of ash and molten metal fell from her fingers to hiss against the cooler stone floor, she said again, "You've been warned. Mess with me or my little sister again, and I won't be responsible for what I do to you when I find you. And I _will_ find you."

Yang brushed off her hands, walked past the other villagers, and left the butcher's shop, not caring at all that she was still channeling her Semblance. It was a waste of energy, she knew, but she needed to burn off her anger somehow and if she wasn't allowed to give Slater a few more smacks, letting her Semblance run wild was the next best thing. She'd be tired later, but even tired she was more than a match for anything that might try to harm her in and around the village. She wasn't worried. At the very least, it'd be good training.

When she first discovered her Semblance, she barely managed to hold onto her fire for more than ten seconds at most and only once every several days. Not very useful in a fight against a pack of Grimm, especially if said Grimm were the type to call for reinforcements. Some people thought it was strength that won a fight against the Grimm but in reality, it was endurance. After countless hours of training, Yang could now call upon her Semblance more than once a day if need be, and she could hold onto it for quite a while depending on whether she was expending energy or not. She could maintain it longer still if she was wasn't taking damage. If she was taking a beating, the other side of her Semblance would take over. Yang was a flame and as with any flame, give it fuel and it would strengthen and grow from an ember to a wildfire that even she couldn't hold back without hurting herself. Her Semblance would absorb every bit of energy from every hit and impact, and let her blast it back at her enemies exponentially. Too bad she couldn't use some of her energy to send Slater flying. If any human deserved a taste of her Semblance, it was him.

A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. "Yang, wait."

Yang let out a heavy sigh before turning around to see Elder Lily following after her as fast as her old bones could manage. The younger woman waited, her arms crossed.

"Walk with me child, just for a moment, please," the older lady said when she pulled up even with Yang.

Yang remained silent for a long moment before finally muttering, "I need to visit the Riders' Keep after this. Your place is on the way so I'll walk you home." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, imagining the worst of her anger flowing out of her on the currents of her exhalation. There was still too much frustrated anger in her for her hair and eyes to dim much, but at the very least, the air around her cooled a little. Not too much though. Yang knew that the heat she radiated would be good for the old woman's joints, especially on such a cool autumn's day. When she was certain she was under control, she politely held out an elbow to the old lady who took it gratefully.

They walked in silence for a few moments before the Elder ventured, "You said the soldiers came for Ruby. Is she…?"

Yang's voice softened in spite of herself. "She's fine. Same as ever. I made sure she stayed out of sight so even if the soldiers come back, they have no proof that she was even there unless someone else in Patch says something."

"I'll quietly spread the word, let people know not to talk if someone comes around asking," the other woman promised.

Eventually, the two of them reached the cottage near the mill. Elder Lily no longer ran the mill; she passed it on to her two sons after her husband passed away, but she still lived in the cottage. Her sons had expanded the place to fit their families. From what Yang heard, it was a tight squeeze but they managed somehow. It helped that Lily Miller was a natural peacekeeper, if somewhat strict. It was why she was one of the few women who had been chosen as an Elder. The Elders were a council of older folk elected by the villagers, who oversaw village disputes and organized festivals and other gatherings. They also managed trade agreements and were the main point of contact if someone needed to report a Grimm sighting in the area.

Yang escorted the Elder up to the gate, opened it for her, and even closed it after the older lady was safely on the other side.

"I can't entice you to stay for a cup of tea at least?"

Yang shook her head. "Too many things to do today."

The old lady pursed her lips. "Well, wait here for at least a few minutes. I've a jar of strawberry preserves and a loaf of fresh bread to go with it. You can share them with Ruby."

Yang leaned against the fence to wait. "You spoil her."

"She deserves to be spoiled. And you. I'm sure there's a small keg of ale that I can scrounge up. Be back in a jiffy." The older lady disappeared into the cottage and was back before Yang even had time to stretch.

Yang accepted the offerings with a quiet word of thanks. She had long given up refusing gifts from this particular Elder. Even now if anyone wanted to give something to the sisters, they tended to leave whatever it was with Elder Lily, knowing the old lady would find some way to talk Yang into accepting it.

"Elder…" Yang began but was promptly interrupted.

"None of that, child. I may have been acting as an Elder earlier, but right now, I'm just Lily Miller."

"...Grandma Lily," Yang corrected herself after a moment. They weren't actually related, but Lily Miller had babysat Yang often enough as a child to earn a place in the family.

"Yes, child?"

Yang shook her head inwardly at the almost smug look on the older lady's face. She dropped her voice for the next bit. "I should warn you that with soldiers hanging around, I think me and Ruby should make ourselves scarce for a while. We found a job. Don't know if we'll take it yet but it's there, and if we take it, we might be gone a while. I just wanted you to know. If I don't show up again in the village again in a few days, you'll know we've left."

Lily frowned worriedly. "I'll let the other villagers know after the ruckus has settled down a bit." She eyed Yang searchingly before she asked softly, "Will you be coming back to Patch?"

Yang froze.

Lily scoffed at her reaction. "Child, I've known you since you were in diapers. You've never been this formal with me when telling me about a job. It doesn't take a genius to know something's amiss."

Yang muttered something to herself before she blew out her breath and answered. "I don't know. I just…" She didn't know how to put this. She had never been great with words, not serious words anyways. Everyday stuff she could handle, but emotional stuff was harder for her to say aloud. Unless she was talking with Ruby, of course. Ruby was special. Still, Yang did her best to try to organize what she wanted to say and when she finally thought she was ready, she straightened to face the older woman.

"I never thanked you. Uncle Qrow told me that you were the one who offered to take me and Ruby in when our parents passed away. We never took you up on the offer, but even then you came up to check on us all the time after that. And then that time when Ruby got sick—"

Yang stopped, trying to get her thoughts in order. She had been so scared that day. Uncle Qrow wasn't around so Yang had wrapped her little sister in a blanket, strapped her to her back with another one so that she wouldn't fall, and had piggybacked the feverish child all the way down the mountain to get help. Lily Miller had been the first one to notice Yang carrying Ruby and had rushed them to the old man who served as the village healer. She had even spent a few days at their cabin, helping Yang tend to Ruby until the girl's fever finally broke.

Apparently the older woman was remembering that day as well. "Is she still...?"

"Uncle Qrow finally found some medicine that seems to help. She still gets her fevers every now and then, but they're manageable now. She's fine."

"Thank Dust for that."

Yang just nodded. "Thank you. For everything. I just wanted to tell you...make sure you knew. We're thankful, both of us. Just in case."

_Just in case we never come back._

Yang could see the comprehension in the other woman's eyes as clear as day. Thank Dust that the other woman wasn't much for long, drawn-out sappy conversations either.

"Safe travels, Yang. And tell Ruby that I'll miss you both."

"Yes, ma'am." Nothing more needed to be said between the two of them so Yang took her leave as she always did with the best smile she could manage considering she was still in a mood and a wave.

* * *

When Qrow Branwen came out of the Riders' Keep and laid his eyes on his golden-haired niece, he knew a firestorm had been brewing. The only question was, how much damage would be done before it finally burned itself out. His oldest niece was shimmering like a heat wave. Little sparks of light drifted from her radiant mane of hair, like embers dancing off an open flame. He could feel the heat radiating off of her even from across the courtyard. _Still_ , he thought as he eyed the girl, _seems like she's been angry a while so she's starting to cool down some._ If she were still really angry, there wouldn't even be a drop of moisture in the surrounding air. Offhandedly, he wondered who the idiot was that pissed her off so badly. And then he wondered if they were still alive. Regardless, he didn't envy them in the least.

"Hey, Firecracker," Qrow said in his usual gravelly voice as he sauntered across the yard. He kept his voice soft and light, knowing that it was the best way to deal with Yang when she was in a temper.

Yang glared up at him once, her crimson eyes so much like his when she was like this. So much like her mother's. No, not her mother. The vessel that had given birth to her, not a mother. A mother would have stayed with her family, a family that needed her. Qrow could have almost forgiven her if she had at least taken Yang with her when she disappeared but then again, Qrow wasn't sure if Yang's father, Taiyang Xiao Long, would have survived losing both his child and the mother of his child. He sure as hell didn't survive losing Summer. Qrow had told Yang and Ruby back then that their father had died in an accident, but he had his doubts. And if he had his doubts, there's no telling what a smart girl like Yang would have thought.

Yang was better than all of them combined. Where they all allowed themselves to get crushed by grief when they found out their one of their best friends and teammate (and for Tai, his wife) was never coming back from what should have been a routine Grimm hunt, nine-year-old Yang had stepped up to make sure her barely three-year-old baby sister had someone to take care of her, even though she, too, had just lost a mother.

That time remained one of Qrow's greatest regrets. Once he had found out about Summer, he couldn't bring himself to stay to stay in a place that had so many memories of the three of them, Tai, Summer and himself, doing their best to raise first Yang and then Ruby. He couldn't stay because it was the first place he'd ever truly felt at home and without Summer, it felt as though someone had doused the hearth, leaving not even the memory of light and warmth. All he felt was cold grief and sadness. So he left. He ran off to take his pain out on monsters—to forget about being Qrow Branwen for a while and just live as a sword on the field of battle. A sword didn't need to worry about loss or grief. All it needed to do was stay sharp and cut through all that stood in its path. During the time he was forced to spend outside of battle, he always had his trusty canteen filled with whatever form of alcohol he could find to keep him company.

Leaving had been the worst mistake of his life. By the time he managed to pull himself together and drunkenly managed to make his way back to the cabin in Patch, he found his two nieces home alone and by the looks of it, they had been home alone for quite a while. Tai apparently had enough frame of mind to leave the girls some food before he left to who knew where, but they were on the verge of running out by the time Qrow came back. What if Qrow had never decided to come back? The thought still filled him with nightmares on occasion.

But Qrow couldn't stay, not with the Semblance that was both a blessing and a curse. He was a harbinger of bad luck, great for his enemies, not so good for his allies. Where his enemies might trip or stumble in a bout of bad luck during a fight, giving him an opening to strike, his friends might accidentally knock a candle over into a pile of kindling, setting a room partially on fire. True, Summer and Taiyang had just laughed it off, but what if little Yang or Ruby had been in the room? What if they'd gotten hurt? That wasn't something he was prepared to just laugh off. They were the closest thing to a family he'd ever have, and he was damned-well going to protect them.

So he had put aside his sudden urge to walk back out the cabin door to hunt down the man he considered his brother and give him the beating of his life before dragging him back to his two young daughters and looked around for them. He hated what he saw before he found the two girls. The place looked like it had been abandoned for a while. A fine layer of dust covered everything that was out of reach for a nine-year-old girl. Dirty clothes had piled up in the laundry basket. The hearth looked like it hadn't been cleaned out in weeks. The woodpile was down to a handful of split logs. Thank goodness it wasn't winter or else the girls would have frozen to death. Eventually, he'd found the two girls curled up together under Summer's favorite white cloak in the loft where the family usually slept together. Little Yang had toddler Ruby wrapped in her arms, and the sight nearabout broke Qrow's heart.

He stayed as long as he dared, splitting wood, washing the girls' clothes, cleaning out the hearth, and dusting off the furniture. He even spent time with Yang, teaching her how to wash clothes, setting up a shorter clothesline for her so she could hang the wash safely, and showing her how to make simple foods like oatmeal and soup, among other things. He hated doing it, hated taking even more of Yang's childhood away from her by teaching her all the stupid responsible things Tai should have been doing for them, but until he managed to hunt Tai down or get someone else to help him care for the girls, they had to fend for themselves a little longer.

Unfortunately, Tai never pulled himself back together and at some point, Yang gave up on him entirely. Qrow could only watch it happen as he spent most of his time on hunts to bring back food and money, a fraction of it visiting with his nieces and making sure they were alright, and the rest of it trying to shake Tai out of his depression. When Qrow gave up on the man as well, he suggested to Yang that she and Ruby move down into Patch and had even talked to a few of the childless families to see if they would be willing to take the girls in. It had all been for naught, however, because Yang stubbornly refused to go, and when he suggested having someone only take Ruby in so that Yang would have less to worry about, both girls had caused such a fuss that he never brought it up again. If they hadn't been managing so well, he would have pushed the issue but in all honesty, the girls were doing just fine once he organized for couple of the other Riders to drop in from time to time to make sure the girls had whatever they might need.

Now look at them, earning a living through their own skills and even making time to go Grimm hunting with their uncle on occasion. Qrow got the shivers fighting alongside them. It was like his old team was with him again. Yang turned out to have her father's gift of martial arts and now could even give Qrow a run for his money if he didn't have his sword. He'd taught her the basics and what street fighting he knew, and the girl positively ran with it. She practiced, trained, and tested herself against anyone who was willing to take her on, and it showed. And of course, she was the spitting image of his sister, Raven. She might have had Tai's hair color and eyes, but everything else right down to her often explosive temper was all Raven. The rest of her personality though, the loving and nurturing side she only showed around Ruby was clearly Summer's gift to her adoptive daughter.

Then there was Ruby. Ruby was Summer, through and through, all warm, loving, and before _that_ had happened, bright and cheerful. Even after those monsters had done what they did to her, she never lost that bright spark in her; it had been muted and dull for a time, but never lost. As soon as she managed to gain the courage to step out of the cabin again, Qrow taught her how to fight with swords and knives. She took to it like a duck to water, awkward and nervous at first, but soon swimming like she'd been doing it all her life. Summer had been passable with a blade, but she never had the same level of expertise her daughter gained. Summer's real talent had been with her bow, the same one Ruby used now, and Qrow would hazard a guess that Ruby had surpassed her mother in that as well.

Qrow gave himself a shake to break away from his trip down memory lane and leaned against the waist-high stone wall that surrounded the courtyard. Yang remained seated where she was, less than two steps away on the same wall, clenching and unclenching her fists as she worked through whatever had made her lose her temper.

Qrow sat quietly for a while, waiting to see if Yang was willing to speak up about whatever was bothering her, but apparently she was too incensed to even focus her thoughts. Finally he asked her offhand, "So, who do I need to kill?" Yang snorted at that in spite of herself. Good. That meant she was cooling down, however slowly.

After another long moment, the story came out, and not for the first time did he wish that he had a bottle of whiskey or something similar to down as he listened. Unfortunately, he'd given up alcohol the moment he and Yang had discovered the smell of alcohol could trigger Ruby's flashbacks. One of the monsters that assaulted her must have been drinking before he decided to go out and terrorize a ten-year-old girl. The girl was doing better now, well enough that Yang could partake at home once in a while and Ruby would be fine, but Qrow didn't want to risk it. It had hurt knowing that the stink of alcohol on his breath and clothes had caused his niece to suffer and that the only thing he could do for her at that moment was take himself far away so Yang could attempt to calm her and bring her back. After that, he sold whatever alcohol he had in his possession, bought new clothes with the money, burned his old ones, and went Grimm hunting until he was certain every trace of of the stuff was gone from his system. The withdrawal symptoms had hurt—gods, they had hurt—but it had been worth it to be able to hug and accept hugs from Ruby again without forcing her to relive memories best left forgotten.

Quietly, Qrow listened as Yang recounted how soldiers had appeared on the girls' doorstep that morning looking for a "rogue" Faunus and how she had confronted the man responsible with a handful of villagers at her back. Privately, he was impressed. A younger Yang would have punched first and asked never if she thought she was in the right. Now, however, she was thinking. By dragging the villagers into the problem, she forced the man's deeds into the open and no village would want to keep someone who would turn on them like that. He'd seen villages exile whole families for far less. It was pretty much a universal rule outside the walled cities: adapt and make nice with your neighbors or get kicked out. No village wanted to risk a Grimm attack. It was the perfect way to get rid of the man because the villagers of Patch would have to be utter fools to let him stay.

To add insult to injury, the man would probably be in for a rough time after he was kicked out of Patch. The people in rural villages might be simple, but they weren't stupid. Sure, they were friendly enough to travelers thanks to age-old unspoken hospitality laws. When the world was crawling with monsters that specifically targeted people, people learned real quick to be kind and helpful to travelers, mostly because one never knew when they might need the same assistance sometime down the line. In other words, people took the whole "what comes around, goes around" thing seriously. However, people were a lot more wary when it came to travelers who were looking for a new place to settle down. No town or village would want to risk letting someone who may have caused discord in his previous village stay, so those types of people ended up wandering a long time, often turning to banditry or thieving to survive.

That was when Qrow heard how the man probably discovered that Ruby was a Faunus and suddenly he was seeing red. "You say this lowlife is still in town?" he growled.

"Yeah. Unless he decides to leave before the village meeting. I don't think he will though. He's just so... _stupid_. It was like nothing anyone said was getting through to him. I even flat out told him that Ruby was basically acting as a fully fledged Huntress, slaying Grimm to protect people, probably saving his pathetic life more than once, and all the while his brain was literally unable to process anything past the fact she's a Faunus. Like nothing she could ever do could make up for the fact that she wasn't born human."

Yang was clearly working herself up again. Sadly, Qrow had seen that kind of thinking plenty in his travels. Irrational, blind disgust or outright hatred towards the Faunus was more common than not in Atlas. It hadn't always been this bad. Twenty plus years ago, Atlas was pleasant enough that Summer felt comfortable settling in Patch and while she loved wearing that hooded white cloak of hers, she never felt unsafe without it. She would have been horrified to know that it was the exact opposite for her youngest daughter.

Qrow gave a heavy sigh. "Don't know what to tell you, Firecracker, except try not to let it get to you. There are always going to be people like that. You'd die long before you managed to talk sense into them, because their prejudice isn't always set in logic or reasoning."

"Then what's it set in?"

"A false sense of superiority. Some people can't live without putting themselves on a pedestal or comparing themselves to others. They want to feel superior, to be able to show to the world that they're better than someone else. So they take one small difference and make a mountain out of an anthill. Skin color, eye shape, rich or poor, human or Faunus, athletic or intellectual, if there's any kind of notable difference, there's someone who takes pride in that difference and uses it as a way to lord themselves over others. It's just the way of the world."

"Well, it's stupid and pointless."

"Right you are, but that's life." Qrow gave his niece a few moments to digest that before he said offhandedly, "So, this lowlife...he's the butcher you said?" That won him half a smile.

"Don't worry. I already scared him pretty good. I really wanted to rip him to pieces, but then Ruby and I wouldn't be able to stay here so instead, I just made him bleed a little. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but I did it. He even pissed the floor when I started setting things on fire."

"Good," came the calm reply, "but that doesn't mean I can't go and make him regret the day he was born a second time. Favorite uncle privilege and all that."

Yang snorted. "You're our only uncle."

This time it was Qrow's turn to snort. "You tell that to the other guys in the keep. Everytime I come back someone's asking me why you two haven't been by to visit, or heavens forbid, if I'm going for a visit could I bring this huge basket of stuff that's bigger than a horse to you two. It's like I'm a pack mule or something."

Yang's eyes faded back to lilac and her hair finally dimmed to its normal hues. "Awww…they like us."

"They like you too much. Seriously, if they don't cut it out, I'm gonna lose my top spot." Yang grinned and Qrow cracked one right back at her. "Now there's the smile I like to see."

Yang's expression dimmed ever so slightly, and she gave a gusty sigh as she stared out at seemingly nothing. "I'm just tired, you know? Why can't they all just leave Ruby alone? Hasn't she suffered enough? But everytime I turn around, I find someone else harassing her behind my back. I'm so sick of it."

Qrow didn't have an answer to that. "You're doing fine, Firecracker," he said at last, "You can't protect her from everything, and neither can I. But what you can do, you're doing already. You give her a safe place to return to whenever things get tough. You're there for her every day. You love her, and she knows it."

"Sometimes it just doesn't seem like enough."

"Trust me; it's enough. Sometimes it's the simple things that make all the difference."

"Is that what it was like for you?" The question caught Qrow off guard.

"Yeah," he said softly. "Tai and Summer knew I couldn't stay too long in one place so when I did happen to drop by, they pulled out all the stops and treated me like family. They even made me change your diapers."

"Hey!" Yang punched him on the shoulder, and he just chuckled at her red face.

Qrow wouldn't say it aloud. He'd been sappy enough already, but the thing he thanked his two friends the most for was leaving him with Yang and Ruby. They were the daughters he'd never have, and they gave him something to live for. To fight for.

"So," he asked, now that his niece was calmer, "not that I don't mind the visit, but what brings you all the way out here?"

Yang immediately jumped up from the wall and paced a bit. Huh. She must be unsure about something. Usually only Ruby made her show her insecurity. Qrow had lost track of how many times Yang had come to him with questions about whether she was raising Ruby properly—just like today, come to think of it. She was always worried that she wasn't doing enough where her sister was concerned.

Finally, Yang stopped and turned to face him. "A job came up, and I'm thinking about taking it, me and Ruby. It would give us a good excuse to clear out for a while in case the Schnee Guards come back looking for revenge."

"That's a good plan," he answered noncommittally though he could tell she wasn't quite done.

"Yeah, but the thing is, it's going to be a long one. We'd be going further than we've ever been. We probably won't be back for a long while."

That was a bit concerning. He frowned. "How far is 'further'?"

She hesitated. "Possibly as far as Vytal."

"The province or the capital?"

"Either. It depends on our employer."

Qrow let out a long breath. "That's pretty far, especially with winter on its way. And you're travelling by foot? It'll be snowing before you even get there."

"I know."

"Talk to me, Firecracker. What's on your mind?"

She blew out a breath. "I don't know—just, I don't want to be here anymore. I'm tired of this place. Nothing good has ever happened here."

Qrow could see why she felt that way. She'd been tested just as sorely as Ruby though she'd never admit it. She'd lost a lot here. Her birth mother. Her adoptive mother. Her father. Her childhood because she had to step up at take care of Ruby. Then Ruby had almost been taken away from her. It had been nothing short of a miracle that the younger girl survived, not only her injuries but the unlocking of her Aura as well.

"And you've always told us how life is easier for the Faunus outside of Atlas," Yang continued, heedless of her uncle's thoughts. "Ruby shouldn't have to hide away all the time like she does now. If there's a safer place somewhere out there where she can learn to relax and be herself, I want to take her there."

"There's always going to be racism, even outside of Atlas. You know that, right?"

"Of course, but it'll still be better than staying here. Ruby's going to be sixteen pretty soon. The provincial official who came to try to take her to the reservations last time took pity on her because she was still fourteen and let her stay, but I'm not naive enough to believe that the next person who comes around will be as lenient. People talk, and Ruby being a Faunus is pretty much an open secret in these parts. One day someone's going to let slip that she's still living here, and then we'll have to deal with people coming to pick her up or arrest her all over again. Now's as good a time as any to get out while we still can."

The girl wasn't wrong. Honestly, lately Qrow had been thinking along the same lines himself, moving the girls out of Atlas to one of the other provinces. With human-Faunus relations deteriorating so badly in Atlas, Ruby just wasn't safe here anymore. He just hadn't been sure how to bring it up. Yang would've understood the need to move, especially if Ruby's safety was involved. Ruby, however, was an entirely different story.

Ruby loved Patch, and Qrow had to admit the place suited her. He had followed her on one of her hunting trips once—staying out of sight, of course—and had been shocked at the change in her. Whenever she was around people or near civilization, she was this shy, awkward little thing, clearly nervous and always hiding behind Yang. In the forest, however, she was anything but insecure. There was a confident sense of grace to her as she moved through the trees, an arrow-straight focus that he only saw glimpses of when they went Grimm hunting together. And the girl could _run_. Holy Dust, could she run. Even with his unique abilities, Qrow was hard pressed to keep up with the little wolf, and she wasn't even using her speed Semblance unless she had to. She moved like the wind, effortless and agile as she darted through the trees and over obstacles as though they weren't there. It made him realize just how much she was always holding back when she was around humans. _Or maybe, how much we're always holding her back._ Sometimes he wondered if one day she would just run off into the woods and never return to civilization. If not for him and Yang, would she? She certainly had the skills for it. He should know; he was the one who taught them to her.

The other problem with moving the girls was that he wouldn't be able to go with them, at least not right away. He had a job to do, and he had to stay here to do it. Again, Yang would probably be fine with it, especially after he made sure she knew he'd come after them eventually, but Ruby...the girl didn't deal well with change of any kind. Even the littlest things could throw her off though she did her best to try and hide it from him and Yang. If they were lucky, she'd just have trouble sleeping for a few nights. If they were unlucky, she'd have trouble eating and start skipping meals on top of not sleeping.

Qrow must have been silent too long because at some point, Yang had turned to look at him and was clearly trying to read his expression.

He tried to think of what to say and finally decided to settle on the only thing that mattered. "Gonna be a lot quieter around here without you two rabble raisers." Sappy and not at all his style, but somehow he had the feeling it would be a long time before he got to see either of his nieces again. It didn't sit right with him not to let them know he cared.

Yang's eyes widened in surprise. "You're not going to stop us?"

"Nope. You're old enough to make your own decisions, and it'd be good for you to see more of the world. I might've been worried if you were heading out alone but since you're not, I know you'll be fine. Ruby'll be there to keep you out of trouble, and I know you'll be there to guard her back. You've got a good head on your shoulders, too, and I'm proud of ya. Of both of ya. You've come a long way, and Dust knows you'll go far."

"Aww, Uncle Qrow…" Whoops. Didn't mean to make her all teary-eyed.

Slightly abashed, he wrapped a hand over her shoulder and squeezed comfortingly. He wasn't the hugging type, and Yang liked to give hugs more than receive them.

Something seemed to occur to the girl. "You wanna come with us?"

"Can't. I got work here to be done, but if you're not back by the time I'm finished, I'm coming after you. Pretty sure I'll have to bail you girls out at some point. You're like moths to a flame when it comes to trouble after all."

Yang snorted at that. "Alright. I'll make sure to cause plenty of havoc once we're out of Atlas so you know where to find us."

"Wouldn't expect anything less, Firecracker. Just go easy on the property damage. I ain't rich, you know."

"I'll think about it," his niece said with a wide grin.

He couldn't help but chuckle back at her. Yeah, he was going to miss them, alright. He wasn't really the praying sort of guy but, _Tai? Summer? If you two are out there somewhere, watch out for your girls, will ya? Especially you, Tai. We both know you screwed up so here's your chance to fix things. Just look out for them and keep them out of trouble until I can get there. That ain't too much to ask, right?_

He didn't know if the two of them could hear him wherever they were, but he hoped so. At the very least, he'd sleep better knowing someone was watching out for the girls. _His_ girls. The sudden thought made him feel a little misty himself.

 _Look out for them, old friends,_ he asked again, before starting to make his own plans to help the girls prepare for their journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to say that while both Yang and Qrow seem to vilify Taiyang, you have to remember they both feel a lot of anger and disappointment towards him-Yang because he was supposed to be someone she could rely on yet ends up being yet another person who leaves her, and Qrow because one, he expected more from his teammate/old friend and two, because Tai had something that Qrow feels he could never have (a real family) yet he throws it all away. However, by no means do Yang and Qrow's treatment of Tai's grief and depression reflect my own opinions on the subject (which you can get a glimpse of by rereading my ramblings at the end of chapter 4 of this story if you like). While I do plan to write this story on the positive end of the sliding scale of idealism vs. cynicism, I also want to be realistic. Sometimes bad things happen to good people, and the rest of us are left to salvage what we can from the pieces. In light of that thought, I think Yang and Qrow definitely rose to the occasion and did amazingly well considering their situation, don't you?


	7. A New Dawn

Weiss scrambled up the rocky incline, feeling less and less confident every second about the upcoming journey. She wouldn't be the first to say she was fit, exactly, but she never really considered herself out of shape either, at least not until today. However, with her feet and legs growing unsteadier with every step as she trudged upwards over this uneven, sorry excuse for a trail, she had to admit that maybe, possibly, there was a chance that her stamina could use some work. If she was really being honest with herself, her stamina could use a lot of work.

The trip had started out fine. She and her small hooded guide had parted ways with Yang, the latter promising that she'd meet up with them as soon as she squared away a few things and got the rest of the provisions they'd need. From there on, they made their way through the forest, walking in silence since the younger sister was mute. That wasn't too bad until Weiss realized that wherever this cave of theirs was, it was a lot farther away than she thought because they just kept walking and walking and walking. It felt like they had been trudging through the trees for hours before they reached the point where they were now, a huge rocky outcropping smack dab in the middle of the forest. That was when her guide started leading her upwards on a barely visible path on the eastern edge of the rocky formation, leading to her current torturous predicament.

They couldn't have been hiking for more than a few minutes at most, but already Weiss's lungs were struggling to draw breath. Her heart beat furiously to try to keep up with the unaccustomed exertion. Her legs burned with each push upwards, and her feet ached from slipping, tripping, and having to catch herself so many times. Her fine shoes weren't really meant for traipsing through the forest, and she was reminded of that fact every time she slipped on a hidden carpet of moss or a dew-dampened tree root. Sweat rolled down her face, neck, and back, which only added to her discomfort.

Meanwhile her small guide was breathing no harder than if she were taking an easy stroll. The girl had even relieved Weiss of the half-filled knapsack Yang had helped her pack earlier, and was carrying it along with her own, much heavier looking knapsack and a medium-sized basket that looked to be filled with food. Weiss wanted to growl in frustration at seeing the smaller girl do something so seemingly simple that she, herself, couldn't manage, but she simply didn't have the breath to even attempt it.

Inwardly, a part of her tried to argue that of course she didn't have the stamina for this sort of thing. She was no soldier, no common laborer. She was a Schnee, and it was beneath her to carry her own luggage; that was what servants were for. Yet the thought only served to make her ever more frustrated and angry at herself. Those were her father's thoughts, not hers. They were the kind of thoughts he used to steal away what little power, what little autonomy she had.

_"Let the servants dress you, Weiss. It's what they're there for."_

_"Stop that! We're in front of guests. It's unbecoming for a woman to serve anyone but her husband and father at the dining table. You there! Serve Lady Weiss for the remainder of the meal—small portions, mind you—can't have her seem like a glutton in front of her potential husbands' families."_

_"No, don't get up. Send a servant to go fetch what you need. They aren't being paid to stand around and do nothing. I swear, Weiss, it's like you don't know your place in the world. You're a **Schnee**. It's an honor for them to be able to serve you."_

Lies. All lies. Falsehoods he instilled into her since childhood to ensure she remained under his thumb—to ensure that she became someone without even the slightest hint of independence or initiative—someone who didn't think and only obeyed. She couldn't even lift a finger, much less dress herself, without someone reporting back to him.

Weiss remembered the one time she decided she didn't want to wear the dress he told her to wear and sent the servants away so she could pick out something else. Less than ten minutes later, he had barged into her room practically screaming that he didn't pay thousands of lien for her dresses for her not to wear them when he needed her to. Weiss remembered cowering in front of his sudden anger and flinching as he threw her personal wardrobe open with a slam and ordered the servants to remove any clothes that he hadn't personally picked out. She would wear what he wanted her to wear or nothing at all.

That was the day she learned her true worth in his eyes.

She was nothing but a trophy to him to be taken out and shined up to impress his colleagues—a mere doll to be dressed in the finest, most expensive silks and styles to show off his wealth—a piece of bait to dangle in front of the other noble families, reminding them that they could be a part of the illustrious Schnee family as long as they had a son to offer up as a sacrifice in the game they called politics.

This time the young noble did let out a growl, although it came out more like a pathetic wheeze than anything else. To her great surprise, the hooded girl walking quite a ways in front of her turned at the sound. The girl must have an incredible sense of hearing to have heard that weak exhalation of breath over the sound of their footsteps, the wind rustling through the trees, and the occasional bird calls erupting out of the forest.

The girl made her way back—looking fresher than a daisy, Weiss thought grumpily—and offered the noble her canteen. Weiss hesitated for all the entirety of a second before she took it and thirstily gulped at the cool water inside. A part of her was horrified at the unsanitariness of it all, using someone else's personal water vessel without thoroughly washing the mouthpiece first, but it was a very small part. She was far too sweaty, tired, and most of all, thirsty, to care at this point. She retained just enough frame of mind not to guzzle all the water, just in case her guide wanted some too, but the other girl just returned the now considerably lighter canteen to her knapsack.

"How much further?" Weiss asked, hoping that their hike would soon be over and in her haste for information, forgetting her companion couldn't answer her in words.

It didn't seem to matter though, because the girl answered by pointing to a pair of boulders a little further up the trail.

"We're close?" She was answered with a nod, and she gave a small sigh of relief. Good. She didn't think she could keep going for very much longer.

As the two of them continued hiking up the trail, Weiss couldn't help but think back to what Yang said to her before they parted ways.

_"You know, just because she doesn't speak doesn't mean she's stupid," Yang said as she slipped pair of socks into the mostly empty knapsack in front of her._

_Apparently what little Weiss had been able to pack with her failed to meet Yang's standards, so the golden-maned woman was now rummaging through a chest of worn but clean and serviceable clothing to replace what the noble was being forced to leave behind after a long, heated discussion. In the end, Weiss grudgingly accepted that perhaps her fine clothing wasn't quite suitable for the road and agreed to let Yang trade or sell some of the pieces for whatever else they might need for the trip. When Weiss brought up the possibility that selling the fine clothes would leave a trail for her father's men to follow, Yang explained that she could sell it to her uncle who could take it elsewhere before selling it again, effectively leaving a false trail for whoever might be on the lookout for a hidden noble on the run. Weiss had to agree it was a rather clever plan, one that she didn't really expect from the seemingly oafish brawler who thought assaulting the Schnee Guards that had come after her was a good idea. When the woman had gone out to meet the guards, Weiss thought she was just going to talk to them and perhaps distract them with a false lead, not start a fight. Aura warrior or not, taking on twenty men alone and unarmed was sheer folly, or so Weiss believed up until the foolhardy woman had come waltzing back into the cabin none worse for the wear._

_Weiss blinked in confusion as she sorted through which of her clothes she absolutely wanted to keep and which she could be persuaded to part with. "What?"_

_"Ruby. You haven't really spoken directly to her even once since I got here. You haven't even called her by name. You keep turning to me when you want to know stuff about her, always referring to her as 'my sister' rather than by her name. You're treating her like she's an extension of me rather than her own person. If you want this trip to go smoothly, you're going to have to quit doing that."_

_Weiss hadn't even realized she was doing so. But what else was she to do? The girl couldn't talk, and Weiss didn't know how to read the myriad of gestures she used to communicate with her sister. It was just easier to let Yang be the middleman rather than try to interact with the girl directly._

_The other surprisingly perceptive woman continued as though she knew what Weiss was thinking, "Don't worry; you're not the first to treat her like that. Most people do. They talk to me when they want to ask her to do things even if she's standing right there listening, and most of the time, I don't care. It's easier on both of us just to let clients do what they want when we're only working with them for a couple days to a week or two at most._

_"But this time it's different. This is going to be a long trip, meaning we're going to be stuck with each other for a while, so I won't let you get away with treating Ruby like she doesn't have a mind of her own. Plus, there are going to be times when we might have to split up—much like today, in fact—and at some point you two are going to have to learn to manage without me. Today's as good as any to start."_

_"And how am I supposed to do that? She's—"_

_"Nuh-uh. Not 'she.' 'Ruby.' She's got a name. Use it. Use it and keep using it until it sticks. Sure, she's my little sister, but she's also 'Ruby,' a girl who loves strawberries, tinkering, running through the woods, and cuddling by the fire. She's an expert hunter, forager, tracker, and woodsman—well, woodswoman. She's shy, but she's got the biggest heart and will do just about anything to make you smile."_

_The thought of trying to interact with the younger girl to the extent her older sister was suggesting sent panic rushing through her. Weiss wasn't the greatest at social interaction even on a good day with someone who could actually communicate with her in words. How was she supposed to interact with someone who she couldn't understand at all?_

_Yang seemed to take pity on her. "Look, I'm not saying be her best friend from day one. I'm just saying try to get to know her. Start small. Call her by her name whenever you have a chance. When you talk to her, use lots of yes or no questions. That's easy enough, right?"_

_Yes or no questions? That was something she could do. Calling her by her name might be a little harder to remember, but it seemed doable. Eventually._

At least Weiss thought so at the time. Now that she was alone with the girl—Ruby, she mentally reminded herself yet again—it was much harder to summon the courage to say anything. And so here they were, almost to their destination, and Weiss had barely strung together two sentences.

It was that dratted hood that was the problem, Weiss thought to herself irritably. A name was only a word until it could be connected to a series of traits and features that could then be assembled to form an individual entity known as a person. "Ruby" meant nothing to her because she simply didn't know anything about the girl whose name it belonged to. Yes, the girl had rescued her when she was in dire straits, but that didn't tell her anything about the girl personally. The words "guide," "hooded figure," and even simply "girl" had more meaning to Weiss than "Ruby" did. She couldn't even put a face to the name, making it even harder for Weiss to summon enough courage to attempt any meaningful interactions with her. Who knew what the girl was thinking beneath that shadowy hood. For all Weiss knew, the girl could be all but laughing at her poor efforts of communication. She just didn't know and until she knew for certain what the other girl was thinking, it was just easier to maintain the silence.

Weiss turned her eyes to her guide, just in time to see the girl vanish. Weiss blinked in shock before hurrying up the trail. She glanced left and right, trying to figure out where the girl had gone, to no avail. It was like she vanished into thin air.

Weiss licked her lips nervously, summoned her courage, and probably for the first time ever, called out, "R-ruby?"

She was answered by a soft whistle and suddenly, the girl was back, popping in out of nowhere, making Weiss jump.

"Don't do that!" Weiss snapped, more sharply than she intended. She couldn't help it. Her heart was pounding a mile a minute, and she _hated_ being caught off guard.

The other girl visibly flinched and her shoulders curled in, uncomfortably making Weiss picture a kicked puppy. Still, she couldn't quite bring herself to apologize. It was the girl's fault for startling her in the first place.

After an awkward silence, during which Weiss took the time to take a few deep breaths calm her racing heart, Weiss ventured the query, "Where did you go?"

The hooded girl straightened and gestured to the pair of boulders next to them. Making sure Weiss was watching this time, she slipped between them and was gone. Frowning, Weiss took a few steps closer to the boulders and then realized there was indeed a narrow gap between them, though it was nearly invisible unless someone knew it was there. Weiss was impressed in spite of herself. This must be why the two sisters felt the cave was safer than their cabin. A little bit of the tension that had been haunting Weiss since she saw the Schnee Guards at the sisters' cabin eased from her shoulders. For the first time in days, she felt safe. She let out a small sigh of relief and followed after her guide, who was most assuredly waiting for her on the other side.

* * *

"You must be joking," Weiss said flatly as she looked up the steep cliffside in front of her, not really speaking to anyone since her guide had already scurried up the wall as nimbly as a squirrel.

After leading them to the rocky wall, the other girl had placed all their belongings into what appeared to be a lift. If Weiss wasn't so appalled at being expected to be able to climb the sheer cliff in front of her, she would have been suitably impressed by the amount of effort and craftsmanship that had clearly gone into making the lift. It wasn't just a box attached to a rope like most simple designs she had seen. The box was actually attached to a track that ran parallel to the cliff wall by a set of wheels, most likely to keep it from swinging around in the wind and colliding with the wall as it was hauled up. Simple but practical and far more ingenious than she would have expected from a mere commoner who had probably never even heard of mechanical engineering much less studied it. A tinker indeed.

A rattle and squeaking sound interrupted her thoughts as the lift began to move upwards. Weiss glanced up to see her hooded guide rotating a crank and lever, throwing her entire body into it. Weiss couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. The girl must be a lot stronger than she looked to be able to move the entire lift and its contents by herself. Then again, she was related to that golden-haired, muscle-bound oaf of a sister so perhaps it wasn't so unexpected.

A whistle of warning sounded out from above her, and a rope ladder with wooden rungs unfurled itself with a clatter as it fell from above, stopping beside the young noble and hanging about a foot off the ground. Weiss looked up, yet again, to see the other girl wave for her to climb up and then disappear from view.

Well, at least she wasn't expected to suddenly develop squirrel climbing skills and be able to shimmy up the rock wall with absolutely no help. Not that she had ever climbed such a flimsy ladder before. At least the one in the sisters' cabin had been made entirely of sturdy wood. This one rocked and swayed with every little puff of wind, and she was expected to climb it?

Weiss eyed the ladder uneasily for a moment before tugging on it to see how secure it really was. It seemed...strong enough, she supposed, but it still unnerved her. She glanced up again to make sure she wasn't being watched. Why, she wasn't entirely sure herself, but for some reason it galled her to think that the other girl might be watching her unsteadily climb the ladder when the she, herself, had climbed up the wall with only her hands and feet. Weiss took a deep breath and slowly began making her way up, freezing in place every time the ladder swayed too much.

Inwardly, she cursed every life decision that led her up to this moment. This flimsy deathtrap would be her doom. It'd snap when she'd least expect it, and she'd fall to her death. Her mission would fail, her father would succeed in ruining the Schnee name, and she'd never again be able to tell Winter how much she loved her. She was sure of it.

It was to her great and utter shock when several extremely long moments later, she actually made it to the top of the cliff, shaking with nerves, but alive and arguably well. Still, if she had to climb another flimsy rope ladder like that, it would be far too soon. As soon as she cleared the edge of the cliff and had her feet back on solid ground, she quickly turned her back to that dreadful ladder and did all she could to wipe the harrowing memory from her mind.

* * *

The "cave" that was their destination was less a cave and more a hole in the rockface, formed from centuries of wind and water erosion. It didn't even have a real roof. Once one went past the arch that served as its entrance, the roomy chamber within offered an unobstructed view of the sky. It was what Weiss imagined standing at the bottom of a canyon would feel like. For a brief moment, Weiss found herself wondering what they did when it rained until she noticed a series of ropes attached to something just out of sight. She moved to take a better look and saw some sort of awning that could be pulled over the hole in the ceiling using the ropes. The other girl must have opened it up shortly before Weiss had arrived. Wooden, handmade shelves lined the room and were covered with various tools, jars, containers, and a plethora of other random objects. It looked more like a workshop than a hideaway, which Weiss would later discover, it was.

As soon as Weiss had cleared the top of the cliff wall, Ruby had led her over to a low stool, sat her down, and began puttering about, sweeping the floor, cleaning this and that, and emptying some of the things from her knapsack to put on the few empty shelves. Weiss had nothing to do but wait and watch as the girl tried to make the place seem more habitable.

It was probably the worst thing that could have happened to her at that point. Having nothing to do meant no distractions. No distractions meant she would start thinking, and thinking meant her mind was almost guaranteed to lead her to places she didn't want to go. As expected, it didn't take long.

It began as a soft murmur at the back of Weiss's mind a few hours after arriving, a disquieting rustle sending warning signals to her that she didn't quite know how to interpret but knew somewhere, somehow that they should be heeded nonetheless. Then at some point, the sense of disquiet became louder and louder until it was like waves pounding against the shoreline, threatening and succeeding at eroding what little stability she had left.

Time stretched and at some point, the dam broke. Crashing waves overran the few barriers Weiss had haphazardly thrown in place so that she could keep functioning amidst constant flurries of insecurity and anxiety, and suddenly everything that had happened over the past few days overwhelmed her in less than an instant. Missing Winter and Klein, feeling more alone than she ever felt in her life, discovering her father's plans, making the decision to run away from home, actually running away from home, encountering all sorts of things she was all but unprepared for, getting captured by that pig of a man who served in her family's household guard—oh, how she would like to go back and see to it that he lost his job, but alas, that was out of her hands at the moment—getting rescued and then rashly attempting to hire her rescuer even though she knew nothing about them.

It was all too much. At every juncture of the path that led her up to this point, she had questioned herself over and over again. Could she really pull this off? Should she really do this? Would her actions really make a difference? What would happen to her after all this? She was sure to be disinherited at the very least. What would she do then? How would she survive or make a living when she knew practically nothing about the world outside the castle?

Every insecurity, every seeping trickle of anxiety struck her all at once and the next thing she knew, the hooded girl, Ruby, was crouching in front of her. At some point, the girl had removed her gloves and now she reached out to touch Weiss's cheek with those small, pale hands of hers. Weiss flinched at the warmth of those hands and then realized the girl wasn't so much as touching her cheek as gently wiping away the tears trailing down them.

"What…" Weiss reached up with her own hands, felt the wetness, and wondered when it got there. She swiped at her face roughly, suddenly flushed with shame and embarrassment. She was a Schnee. Schnees never showed weakness. They never cried in public. The last time she made that mistake, her father spent hours berating her afterwards.

_"Worthless child. Stop that unseemly caterwauling. You're being a disgrace to the family."_

That had been the day of her mother's funeral. Even the mere memory of those words stabbed through her chest like an icy spear, just as they did back then.

Intellectually, she knew her father's words were complete garbage, but a lifetime of conditioning couldn't be overcome in only a few days. She felt humiliated for being caught like this, and that humiliation quickly turned to anger. She pulled away roughly from the girl in front of her.

"Stop that. I'm fine," she forced out through clenched teeth as sobs threatened to erupt from her throat. _Hold it in. You're fine._

But she wasn't. The tears that had started as a mere trickle quickly turned into an outpouring of uncontrollable stress and anxiety. Too much had happened to her in the past few days and what little resilience she had shattered in the face of her exhaustion. Emotions that she had forced away time and time again came roaring back with a vengeance. She turned away, arms wrapped tightly around her stomach, her face hot with tears, her sinuses clogged, and her shoulders shaking at the force of her wracking sobs.

Then the unexpected happened. Two small but unbelievably warm arms wrapped themselves around her, forcing her face into an equally warm shoulder.

It shocked her to the core. She couldn't even remember the last time she had been held like this—like someone actually cared about her. She couldn't even remember the last time she had human contact that wasn't forceful or controlling in nature. She loved her sister, Winter, but neither of them had been much for physical affection. She remembered being hugged as a child but at some point, those hugs had tapered off into nonexistence.

The embrace was uncomfortable in its unfamiliarity, causing the hairs at the back of her neck to stand on end. At the same time, it was incredibly warm and in its warmth, so very, very scary.

She panicked.

"Don't touch me!" Weiss cried out, trying to shove the other girl away. She felt the slightest twinge of guilt when she felt the smaller girl stiffen at the acid in her tone, but to her complete and utter shock, for the first time since they'd met, the girl didn't do as she asked. Instead, the girl only tightened her hold.

Weiss struggled to break free, but the other girl was surprisingly strong and eventually, Weiss was sobbing too hard to put up a fight any longer. What little resistance she had melted away in the face of the other girl's warm embrace, and Weiss buried her face in the girl's shoulder. The other girl loosened her hold, and those small, gentle hands began rubbing deep, comforting circles along Weiss's back.

Weiss could only clutch at her and cry the hardest she'd ever cried in her life. She cried for Winter, who she wasn't sure if she'd ever see again. She cried for the loss of her mother and the travesty her father had turned the Schnee family into, tarnishing their honor and making their name synonymous with corruption. She cried for the cold and empty life she had lived thus far, trapped within her father's cage. Most of all, she cried for herself and how pathetic she must seem, suddenly breaking down like this with no warning. Years of pain, hurt, abuse and loneliness exploded from within her and like a watery torrent breaking free from its prison, the flow of negative emotions would not be stopped until they had fully run their course. Yet all the while, Weiss was still aware at the edges of her consciousness of the warm, gentle arms cradling her shaking shoulders until the moment exhaustion overcame her, sending her into the oblivion of sleep.

* * *

Wakefulness returned to Weiss in starts and stops, mostly because waking up was the last thing she wanted to do. Waking up meant she would have to face another day of insecurity, another day of not knowing what was going to happen, or what she should do. Sleep was far more preferable in that she couldn't second-guess herself to death while in its comforting embrace. Things just seemed less important when she was half-asleep, and it was the only time she could experience what it would feel like to just _not_ worry.

Unfortunately, fate seemed to have other plans for the young noble, assuming fate had decided to take on the shape of a small, mysterious, hooded young girl. A gentle hand was stubbornly shaking her, bringing her closer and closer to the dreaded realm of wakefulness. Finally, Weiss gave up and cracked open a bleary eye that was still burning painfully from all the crying she had done the night before, and glared at the girl attempting to wake her. However, before she had the presence of mind to fire off some scathing remark or remember that this was the girl who had witnessed her humiliating, pathetic breakdown, a damp looking cloth was thrust into her face.

Weiss flinched away before attempting to right herself. That was when she realized she wasn't in her huge, cushy bed at the castle. She blinked confusedly for a moment. Where was she? Then she remembered. The cave. Her sudden breakdown. The girl leading her over to the cot she was now using and tucking her in sometime during the previous night. Weiss blushed red at the thought of being tucked in like a _child_.

That cloth was thrust into her face yet again, and this time she took it just so that the girl would stop doing that. "What?" she asked irritably.

The hooded girl mimed wiping her hidden face and pointed to a basin of water at the foot of the cot. _Oh. She's offering me a chance to clean up._ Idly, she wondered where the girl got the apparently clean water when they were basically at the top of a cliff as she wiped away all traces of her crying from the night before. Strange what the mind thought of when it was emotionally exhausted. Or perhaps a part of her was simply trying to ignore reality for a bit longer by thinking of utterly inconsequential things. She could tell her eyes were probably still very red, but the cool water did the trick and made her feel better. Not enough to entirely wipe away her shame from the night before, but enough so that she could attempt to pretend it hadn't happened.

Then she realized it was still dark outside. A jolt of worry ran through her. Had something happened? Did they suddenly have to leave in the dead of night to avoid detection? But if that was the case, then why did her hooded companion seem untroubled?

The girl in question tugged on Weiss's sleeve after cleaning up the basin of water.

"What is it now?" Weiss got no answer, just that persistent tugging. "Alright, alright! I'm coming." That seemed to be what the girl had been waiting for, and she led them out of the cave with only a small, candle-lit lantern to guide them.

The girl stopped on the far left side of the cave and held the lantern over the ground so that Weiss could see a rough, staircase-like path leading up. A rope had been wound through a series of metal rings that had been spiked into the rock wall at regular intervals. _A handrail of some sort, perhaps?_ The girl offered Weiss the lantern, presumably so that she could light her own path, and started climbing up first. Weiss grumbled to herself irritably but followed the other girl up regardless. The rough staircase led to a relatively small but flat plateau, in the center of which were two stools that seemed to have been fashioned out of partially hollowed out tree stumps, and a low burning fire with a pot simmering over it.

Ruby led Weiss over to one of the stools and motioned for her to sit down. The young noble did so with a huff of annoyance, still entirely unsure of why she had been dragged up here and feeling uncomfortable being so close to the one person who had seen her lapse of control. No doubt the smaller girl was looking down on her and judging her, just like everyone else in her life did. The thought almost made her want to scream. She wouldn't, however, for doing so would only give the girl more reason to think her weak and pathetic.

The most maddening thing about this whole situation was that the girl didn't speak. Any other time Weiss would be able to regain her equilibrium by verbally sparring with her critics, but should Weiss be the first to speak up and verbally attack the hooded girl, she'd be no better than the people she despised. So she held her tongue even though it was the last thing she wanted to do.

Apparently heedless of Weiss's internal wrath, the girl, Ruby, unfolded what looked to be a blanket, laid it across Weiss's lap despite the latter's squeak of indignation, and then turned her back on the white-haired noble to tend to the fire. A series of soft clinks met Weiss's ears and the next moment, Ruby was offering her a mug of something that smelled remarkably like...apples and roses? Her curiosity warred with her desire to remain aloof until finally, her curiosity won out. She accepted the mug warily and took a modest sniff. Yes, apples and rosehips. A small sip also told her the tea blend had been mildly sweetened by honey. It was good. More importantly, it was warm, chasing away some of the chill that still clung to her. Against her better judgement, Weiss felt herself relax ever so slightly.

She watched as Ruby puttered around the fire a little longer. The girl stopped only once to refill Weiss's mug of tea and add a little more honey. Weiss hadn't even realized she had drunk it so fast. Not that she could help it; it was the best tasting thing she'd had since leaving home. Weiss still didn't know why she had been brought up here, but the tea alone made it worth it.

Quietly, she took in the dark autumn morning. She listened to the soft crackling of the fire, the occasional hoot of an owl, and her companion's rustling movements as she did whatever it was she was doing. The air was chill, but the fire and her apple-rosehip tea were enough to stave off the worst of the cold. That is, until her companion suddenly glanced up towards the horizon, stood up, and put out the small fire with a practiced ease, meticulously snuffing out every glowing ember until everything was dark.

 _What's going on?_ Weiss wondered, but despite her reservations and questions, a part of her was extremely reluctant to break the silence. And perhaps, just perhaps, she was slowly starting to learn that her mysterious companion had reasons for whatever she was doing. Weiss had to admit that ever since they had met, the girl had been deliberate and careful, and not once had she done anything to purposely harm her. What was it that the girl's older sister had told her—that she had to learn to watch and listen in order to understand?

Still, without the warmth of the fire, it got noticeably colder up here where there were no trees tall enough to block the worst of the cool morning breeze. However, the moment a shiver ran through Weiss's chilled body, a thick, warm cloak was settled over her shoulders.

A thread excitement ran through Weiss. Had the girl finally removed her cloak, sacrificing her desire to remain hidden from strangers, in order to keep Weiss warm? Alas, it was not meant to be. Apparently the girl had more than one of those hideously plain cloaks for her features were still hidden, much to Weiss's displeasure. Why was the girl so intent on hiding herself away? Unless, perhaps, she was horribly disfigured beneath that cloak. Weiss raised a hand to her own scar in spite of herself. If that were really the case, she could understand why the girl would keep her face hidden. Weiss might not like the constant mystery; it was like an itch that begged to be scratched, but she could understand not wanting her physical imperfections to be seen.

She had hidden in her room for weeks after her injury before she decided that she wouldn't let her father win. He had deliberately caused her injury, however indirectly; he had taken her sword lessons away despite her proving that she did indeed have what it took to fight and win against other warriors, but he would not get the satisfaction of seeing her back down just because of a little scar. If he disliked seeing her in public, showing off her physical imperfection to the world, then he shouldn't have ordered his men to attack her, and if her scar caused him political or social damage, all the better.

Weiss drew the cloak tighter around her shoulders, privately thankful for it, and straightened the blanket on her lap so that it covered her legs more thoroughly, before cupping her hands around her warm mug of tea once again. In time, her eyes adjusted to the darkness only to realize it wasn't quite as dark as before.

There, in the distance, was a thin ribbon of light that grew wider with every passing moment. It started out two-toned, a light orangish-pink on the bottom shading to a pale yellowish-white on the top. Soon, both colors were wiped out by a brilliant white that slowly took over the horizon as the light rose higher and higher. The darkened sky gradually turned to a clear, beautiful blue and the clouds were dyed a rosy pink. Weiss watched awestruck as the colors shifted and danced before her eyes, and as the sun finally peaked its way over the distant horizon, sending magnificent rays of yellow and white across the land, painting the world in color once more. Finally, as though in celebration of light returning to the world, the air was filled with the sound of birds singing, heralding the coming of a new day.

It took Weiss's breath away.

Weiss couldn't remember when she last experienced something so heart-wrenchingly beautiful. She was a noble. She had grown up rich and though her father had been controlling, she had still wanted for nothing. Every material need or want had been met. She was supposed to have had her pick of beautiful things, clothing, decorations, trinkets, and jewelry and yet, all of those things paled in comparison to the sight before her. This was something so _ordinary_ and yet it filled her with wonder. What had she been doing all her life? How could she have missed something so simple as waking up early in the morning to view something so amazing?

Unfortunately, she knew the answer. The castle that had been her domicile had been less a home and more of a prison. Anything she wanted to do outside and sometimes even within its confines had to be approved by her father. She wasn't even allowed to step into the gardens without someone stopping her and sending a runner to her father for permission so in the end, she just stopped trying. The more she antagonized him, the less freedom she received so she learned to pick and choose her battles, to prioritize her desires so she could keep at least some small measure of control in her own life. Visiting the gardens early in the morning to see the sunrise had never even occurred to her, because she had more important freedoms to protect, namely, her sword lessons. Ultimately, it had all been useless since he took away her sword in the end, regardless of all her efforts, but choosing which freedoms to protect had been one of the only ways she was able to maintain even a semblance of self-worth. As long as she found the strength to defy her father even in the smallest of ways, she knew he had not fully broken her—that he didn't own her.

A thought struck her. She was out here in the middle of nowhere, far from her father's influence. There were no cold, empty castle walls to confine her, no scores of servants and guards watching her every move in order to report back to her father, no expectations of how she should dress or act. For what might be the first time in her relatively short life, Weiss was free.

Suddenly, everything seemed brighter and more vivid in her eyes. The crisp morning air smelled sweeter and clearer. The sound of wind rustling through the trees down below seemed almost soothing and the birdsong sounded melodious rather than raucous. Even the nearly forgotten mug of cooled tea in her hands still tasted good as she finished off the last few sips. For the first time since she was little, Weiss felt at peace. Right here at this moment, the world expected nothing of her. She could sit here all day soaking in the sun, and no one would fault her for it. It was such a wondrous feeling.

That was when she realized the small hooded girl that had brought her all the way up here and had served her tea was nowhere in sight. _I didn't even notice when she left_ , she thought to herself. Then Weiss realized something else. The waking her up when it was still dark out, the lap blanket, the tea, the cloak around her shoulders, the sunrise, it had all been planned.

 _Was the girl…_ Weiss frowned at herself. No, not "the girl." She had a name. _Ruby._ Weiss was surprised to discover that the name didn't feel nearly as foreign as it had the day before. The name was finally starting to feel real. She could actually connect it to a person now—a person who had embraced her when she was hurting, seemingly without judgment the night before—a person who, to all intents and purposes, went out of her way to show Weiss the sunrise, even preparing blankets, tea, and a cloak to make sure she was comfortable as she watched the moment when dawn turned to day. It was nearly impossible for Weiss to believe, coming from a world where people only took action when some sort of profit was involved, but…

_Was Ruby trying to cheer me up?_

And yet Weiss couldn't think of any other plausible explanations for the girl's actions. It brought to mind the days when Klein was still at the castle and went out of his way to personally check up on her in between his many other obligations. It made Weiss feel so...warm...cared for even. Of course, there was still a chance that the girl was indeed motivated by profit like everybody else, or perhaps she had been merely taking pity on the young noble, but for some reason, neither of those seemed very likely. It was a daunting feeling because it required her to _trust_ someone who wasn't Klein or Winter, the thought of which was nerve-wracking and so incredibly foreign.

Weiss shivered in spite of herself. In her world, trust was scary. It was far easier to keep everyone at an arm's distance so that when they inevitably betrayed her, the cut would be shallow at best. However…

She swallowed uneasily as she glanced down at the empty mug in her hands and felt the warmth of the blanket and cloak that still swathed her seated figure. The faint taste of apples, rosehips, and honey filled her mouth again as she licked her lips nervously.

She would wait and see, she decided at last. She was supposed to be learning to interact with Ruby anyway. She would take her time, observe, and think everything through carefully before taking any undue risks. It was safer that way, and if a part of her felt let down by her own decision, she carefully ignored it.

* * *

Ruby fought back a yawn as she rubbed her tired eyes. It had been another long night where sleep had been erratic at best. At least it had worked out in her favor this time. When it became obvious that she wasn't going to get much sleep, her mind had wandered back to the white-haired noble.

 _Weiss_ , Ruby mouthed to herself, testing the name on her tongue and feeling the strange sensation of using her mouth to form words that she could no longer speak.

When Ruby had first caught the scent of Weiss's salt-tinged tears and heard the first weak sniffle, she panicked. She had no idea of what to do. However, when the scent of tears had intensified while she was frozen in panic and indecision, Ruby knew she had to do something.

To be honest, the thought of approaching the noble—a virtual stranger—terrified her. While she knew in her head that Weiss meant her no harm, her heart and body remembered times when that wasn't always the case, causing her hands to tremble and sweat, and her pulse to quicken just thinking about it. However, no matter how scared and nervous Ruby was, the other girl was clearly feeling worse, so Ruby forced down her knee-jerk instinct to keep her distance and wrapped her arms around the crying noble, hoping to ease her pain.

Weiss fought back at first, but Ruby remembered times when she, too, fought against Yang who was only trying to comfort her on one of her bad days with a warm embrace. Yang never let Ruby push her away and most of the time, Ruby felt better afterwards because of it, so Ruby wouldn't let go of Weiss either. She wasn't absolutely sure that it was the right thing to do, but she didn't have any better ideas so she just ran with it. Then when the older girl stopped fighting Ruby's hold, Ruby cautiously started rubbing her back like Yang always did for her, and Weiss seemed to collapse in her arms. So Ruby kept holding her, ignoring the growing stiffness in her shoulders and back due to the awkward positioning of her body, and paying no mind to the tears soaking through her cloak and spreading across her shirt and shoulder. She held Weiss until the young noble had cried herself to exhaustion. Then, as though guiding a small child, Ruby took Weiss by the hand, led her to her cot, and tucked her in. Not knowing what else to do, Ruby sat by the cot, holding the noble's hand and gently running her thumb across her knuckles, until she heard Weiss's breathing finally deepen into true slumber.

That was when Ruby wandered off to try to get some sleep herself but when that plan failed, she couldn't help but notice how her thoughts kept going back to the white-haired noble. Ruby had never met anyone who had been in so much pain, who had seemed so broken before. It bothered her. A lot. No one should have to suffer alone, not when there were so many people out in the world, but what could she do about it? Ruby wasn't like Yang who always seemed to know the right thing to say or do. She wasn't like Uncle Qrow who could always talk her out of her darker moods when she was feeling like she was nothing but a burden to her loved ones.

Ruby rolled over in her bedroll yet again as she scoured her brain for ideas. In the end, she only could think of one, and not a very good one at that. Whenever Ruby was feeling down, she had Yang and sometimes Uncle Qrow to cheer her up. Maybe, just maybe, Ruby could be for Weiss what Yang was for her? She didn't know the first thing about cheering someone up, but she knew what always made her feel better so maybe she could do those things for Weiss? It sounded simplistic and childish, even to her but at the same time, she had to do something—anything to make sure Weiss didn't have to suffer alone anymore.

So she gave up on sleeping and spent the night getting things together and making plans. Of course, those plans now left her extremely tired, but that wasn't anything new. For her, sleep deprivation was the norm more often than not. She counted herself lucky if she got more than three or four hours of uninterrupted sleep at a time. One or two hours of sleep were more common. She was doubly lucky if she was able to fall back asleep at all without wasting the rest of the night tossing and turning.

However…

Ruby's wolf ears twitched as she heard the sound of footsteps climbing down from the upper level, and she glanced over. At that moment, Ruby decided that every hour she had spent making preparations and plans instead of trying to get some much needed sleep had been worth it.

For the first time since Ruby had met her, Weiss looked...not happy, exactly, but calm. Serene almost. There was a sense of peace to the older girl that had been absent before. Her eyes were still red and a little puffy from all the crying she had done. Her clothes were rumpled and her hair was a mess, but something clearly had changed over the past hour. Her shoulders were straighter, her back stood taller, and her gaze was clearer than ever before. She seemed almost...freer?

Ruby couldn't help but wag her tail a little. It was good to see the other girl feeling better.

Ruby hesitantly gave the noble a little wave. Weiss's eyes zeroed in on her hand movement, making Ruby freeze. She couldn't help it. She was never very good at being the center of attention, and usually she never needed to be. Yang was always there to do the people stuff, letting Ruby remain unnoticed.

A strange look crossed Weiss's face when Ruby froze. Consternation? Unhappiness? Either way, Ruby didn't have much of a chance to think about it because at that moment, the noble spoke.

"Good morning," Weiss said in those polished tones of hers. Her voice was higher than Yang's, and Ruby wondered for a moment what she would sound like if she sang. It'd probably be really pretty. Then, realizing that the noble had just greeted her, Ruby hastily lifted her hand to wave again.

_Good morning._

Then Ruby remembered the things she had prepared earlier. She jumped to her feet, inadvertently startling the noble, and rushed to set things up. She dragged out her workbench from inside the cave and set it beside the stool she had just been sitting on. She went back inside to grab the basin of water she prepared and the roll of cloth she had set beside it earlier. Lastly, she carefully unrolled the cloth and set its contents out in the open, a small mirror and a wooden comb, both of which used to be her mother's. It wasn't the special brush that Yang liked to use on her own gorgeous locks, but Weiss's hair looked more like Ruby's, straighter and not nearly as thick, so she figured her comb would work well enough.

Ruby gestured for Weiss to sit on the stool in front of her. When Yang was feeling down, she liked it when Ruby helped her comb out her beautiful hair, and it made Ruby feel special knowing that her older sister never let anyone touch her hair besides Ruby herself. Personally, Ruby didn't care for getting her own hair brushed that much; she preferred cuddles or ear scratches, but if it cheered Yang up, maybe it'd cheer Weiss up.

Weiss's eyes widened for a moment before looking away. "I can brush my own hair."

Oh. Ruby's shoulders sank and her wolf ears drooped unseen beneath her hood.

"But...thank you for offering...and for setting all this up."

Ruby perked up at that.

A few moments later, the two of them had quietly rearranged themselves. Weiss sat on the proffered stool and started working through her mussed tresses, while Ruby went to fetch another stool from the cave and went to work making breakfast. Porridge again. It wouldn't be as good as the day before; there was no milk up here so it'd have to be made with water, but there were apples and honey to add flavor.

It must have smelled good because soon enough, the rumbling growl of an empty stomach met her ears. Ruby glanced back to see Weiss blushing pink and holding a hand against her stomach as though she could contain the sound through sheer force of will. Quickly, Ruby fetched a spoon and a bowl, filled the latter to the brim, and brought it to the hungry noble, who accepted it with a quiet, somewhat still embarrassed murmur of thanks. Ruby cleared away the hair-care instruments and put a crock of honey in their place. She gestured for Weiss to flavor her food to her liking before turning back to the fire.

"Are you not going to eat?" came a sudden inquiry, catching Ruby off guard.

Ruby cringed inwardly in spite of herself. Weiss didn't know about the roiling, anxious unease that always seemed to grow in the pit of the younger girl's stomach whenever she spent too much time in unfamiliar situations. More often than not, that anxiety killed her appetite, if it didn't make her feel downright queasy at the thought of food and right now, her stomach felt as though it was tied in knots. It wasn't anything the noble had done; it was just that Ruby couldn't bring herself to relax so close to a stranger. Not that she had the courage to tell the young noble that even if she could, so Ruby just sort of shrugged before turning away again.

Even if Ruby didn't eat, all that meant was that there was more for Weiss. She could get seconds. Yang was always happier if she could get seconds. And whatever Weiss didn't eat, Yang would be more than happy to finish off when she came to meet them. Or one of them could eat the leftovers as a midday snack if Yang wasn't back yet. But should she be feeding leftovers to a noble? Maybe she ought to make something else. Should she go and hunt something to get some fresh meat? Rich people liked meat, didn't they? Yang liked meat, but they couldn't eat it every day because they couldn't always afford to. Weiss was probably used to eating meat all the time.

Ruby's wolf ears pinned themselves back against her skull and her tail swayed uneasily as she gave an inaudible huff. She had no clue what she was doing. Not for the first time did she hope that Yang came back soon. Ruby just had to hold out until she did. She could do that, right? Or so she hoped.

Ruby glanced back briefly at her white-haired companion, once again taking in how much more relaxed the older girl seemed today compared to the day before. She, Ruby, the reclusive hunter of Patch who barely had any social skills to speak of (quite literally in fact since she _couldn't_ speak) had brought that comfort to Weiss. The thought caused her tail to sway in a slow wag and brought her wolf ears back up to their normal position.

She would be fine. And as long as Ruby kept an eye on things, Weiss would be fine. And when Yang came back, they'd all go on a brand new adventure together. Ruby grinned softly to herself at the thought as she turned her mind back to all the things she wanted to get done before her older sister returned.


	8. Gifts and Guidance

The next morning was clear and bright. It was the perfect weather for starting a new adventure, Ruby thought—although it seemed that neither of her companions agreed.

Yang had imbibed a bit too much ale the evening before, stating that since she couldn't bring the keg with them, she had to finish it while she could. It had been a small keg, but it was still a lot of ale for one person. She had tried challenging Weiss to a drinking contest, but the noble had taken one mouthful of the stuff and nearly spat it out.

Ruby had privately agreed, at least until the noble started talking about how wine was a far better beverage. She never quite understood why people liked alcohol so much. It smelled horrible, tasted worse, and on a bad day, it brought back unwanted memories. Yang was fine; even if she smelled of alcohol, she smelled like herself. Safety. Family. Someone Ruby could trust no matter what. Nonetheless, Ruby made an effort to steer clear of any heavy drinking establishments on the rare occasions she was in any town. That, or she stayed glued to Yang or Uncle Qrow's side from the moment they went in to the moment they came out, breathing through her mouth in an attempt to avoid the smells and keeping all her senses primed, ready for the first sign of danger. It was stressful, but sometimes Yang or Uncle Qrow didn't trust an area of town enough to let Ruby wait outside by herself as they gathered information or whatever it was they came to the place for.

Weiss, on the other hand, seemed to have something on her mind that morning and had withdrawn into herself. Ruby still didn't know why the noble had been crying the other night, but she wondered if that was what was making Weiss so quiet today. Maybe whatever it was was still on her mind? Ruby knew what that felt like. She knew all too well how a brief moment of clarity could easily grow cloudy again—how the darkness could creep back in without warning and send a shadow over everything despite having a good day.

It probably didn't help that Weiss was struggling to carry with her knapsack either. Ruby and Yang had done their best to put all the heavier items in their own packs to lighten Weiss's load, but their knapsacks were only so big and they had a lot to carry. Yang wanted to avoid dropping by any towns or villages for as long as possible, at least until they got out of the immediate area where she and Ruby might be recognized, so that meant no supply runs for a while.

That was apparently why Yang had come to the cave so late the night before; she had been running around gathering supplies, but Ruby was sure something else had happened while she was away. Yang always smelled like a faint mixture of smoke and ash whenever she used her Semblance, and Ruby's sharp sense of smell picked up on it almost immediately. Yang had been angry enough at someone for her to trigger her Semblance. Worried, Ruby had asked her about it, but Yang just smiled and evaded the question, meaning whatever she had done was probably for Ruby's sake. The only time Yang was ever less than perfectly honest with Ruby was when she was trying to protect her, much to the latter's frustration. Ruby didn't want her sister to get into fights over her, but Yang was adamant that no one was allowed to hurt or insult Ruby in her presence. Period.

Still, at least it seemed like nothing particularly bad had happened. Ruby couldn't say her older sister was in a good mood when she got to the cave, but she didn't seem too upset, either. That or she was doing a very good job at hiding whatever she was feeling.

Yang had returned late after sunset the day before and together, the three of them spent the evening reorganizing and packing their things for the journey. There had only been one brief moment of contention when Yang had pulled some sort of tube, most likely made of wood, wrapped in oilcloth out from Weiss's pack. The noble had yanked it from Yang's grasp and cradled it protectively, while stating in no uncertain terms that neither of the sisters were to touch it without her permission. Other than that, it had been a relatively peaceful evening.

And there had been strawberry preserves! Ruby wished she could drop by the mill to thank Grandma Lily, maybe bring her a fresh rabbit or a basket of berries in return, but it just wasn't safe if there were people out looking for her, the "rogue" Faunus. It made her wish, for the first time in a while, that she had been born human like Yang. Then she remembered how nice ear rubs and head scratches felt and changed her mind. Sometimes sacrifices had to be made for the greater good, and both ear rubs and head scratches were definitely part of the greater good. They were almost as good as fresh, sun-ripened strawberries! Almost.

As expected, Yang had scolded Ruby for not eating anything that day, but at least she relented enough to let Ruby have some of the strawberry preserves, an acceptable substitution for when fresh strawberries were unavailable. Of course, that was only after extracting the promise that Ruby would try to eat everything Yang dished out for her at dinner. She had managed about half under Yang's watchful eye. It helped that Yang was back. The horrible clenching in her gut relaxed ever so slightly now that she had a buffer between her and their guest. She didn't have to worry about interacting with the noble anymore, at least for the rest of the night. Just that knowledge alone was enough to quell some of the anxiety that had been plaguing her since Yang had left her alone with Weiss.

Absentmindedly, Ruby raised her nose to sniff the air and caught the familiar scent of earth, wind, and oddly enough, crows. It was a scent she knew almost as well as Yang's. She perked up excitedly. Uncle Qrow was back! She hadn't seen him in almost a month.

Ruby spun around and got Yang's attention. She signed, _Uncle Qrow is here!_

"He is?" Yang blinked somewhat blearily as she brought her water canteen to her mouth again, still trying to mitigate the effects last night's drinking.

Ruby heard Weiss ask, "Who is what?"—but she was already darting up the trail in excitement, leaving her slower companions behind. She raced through the trees until she broke into a familiar clearing at the edge of a grass covered cliff. It was a beautiful place that oversaw a sparkling river that weaved its way far below like a shimmering ribbon of light.

A man with short black hair stood before two graves that had been placed about thirty feet away from the cliff's edge. He turned to reveal a scruffy, unshaven visage with sharp crimson eyes. A sword—no, two swords—hung at his side, and he wore a tattered red cloak over his Rider uniform.

Two swords? Huh, that was unusual. But that was a mystery to be solved later. Uncle Qrow was back!

Ruby didn't bother slowing down and slammed into him. She brought her arms around his middle and hugged him hard. He didn't move an inch, but she did succeed in knocking some of the air out of him. Knowing it would be a few minutes before Yang and, more importantly, Weiss caught up, Ruby let her tail fly, wagging so excitedly that she created a mini whirlwind at their feet.

"Hey, Kiddo," Uncle Qrow said with a grin as he reached under her hood to ruffle her hair.

Ruby pulled back to free up her hands. _Hi, Uncle Qrow!_ Ruby signed excitedly. _When did you get back?_

"The other night. I was getting ready to visit 'cept Yang came by first. Told me what you two were up to. You're going on a trip, she said?"

Ruby nodded, signing, _We met someone who needs help. We're going to help them._

"Yeah? Sure you can handle it? You're still kinda tiny."

Ruby pouted beneath her hood. She moved her hands, _I'm still growing!_

"'Course ya are," he drawled, smirking when Ruby crossed her arms with a huff. "Glad I could catch you two before ya left. Where's Yang?"

Ruby didn't have to bother answering because just then, both of them heard the sound of movement from the forest. Ruby turned just in time to see Yang, and then Weiss, emerge from the trees. She waved at them exuberantly, still excited at seeing Uncle Qrow.

"Uncle Qrow, what are you doing here?" Yang asked.

"Got to see my nieces off, don't I? And make sure you've got everything ya need." His eyes trailed to the third member of their party, and they widened ever so slightly. "Well now, there's a sight ya don't see everyday. A Schnee, in the flesh." He glanced back at Yang, ignoring the way Weiss jerked in surprise. "You know there's a bounty out for your client?"

"Yep," Yang answered, popping that final 'p' in a way that Ruby was kind of envious of.

"And that every provincial official and soldier will be on the lookout for her?"

"Uh-huh."

"And that you could get thrown in jail and accused of kidnapping or worse by any noble who catches you with her?"

"They'd have to catch us first. And then I'd just break us out. Easy-shmeezy."

"Well," Uncle Qrow said, "alright then."

There was a brief moment of silence. And then...

"That's it?" came the high-pitched exclamation of the person in question.

Uncle Qrow raised an eyebrow. "What's it?"

"You're not going to talk your nieces out of a fool's errand? Warn them that they're in over their heads?"

He blinked. "Do you want me to?"

Weiss's cheeks turned pink. "Of course not! B-but I was certain that...well...that you were going to warn them against helping me."

The man waved his hand lazily. "I know my nieces. They've got skills. They're still green, but they've more experience than most. Truth be told, either of them could probably pass the practical exams for becoming Huntresses without a sweat."—Ruby perked up at that. Really? He thought they were that good?—"If they wanna help ya then it's not my place to stand in their way."

His eyes softened ever so slightly. "Your sister would be glad to hear you made it out."

Shock, and then badly disguised desperation mixed with longing crossed Weiss's face. "You know my sister? Is she well? Where…?"

"Whoa, easy there, Princess," Uncle Qrow said as he held up his hands, ignoring the glare the noble gave him at the nickname. "I've had the unfortunate pleasure of knowing General Ironwood so I've met your sister in the passing. We've exchanged a few words, nothing more. She was worried about you, though. Asked me to see how you were if I ever found myself in the northern-most area of central Atlas."

Ruby's wolf ears twitched as she picked up Weiss murmur so softly that she doubted anyone else heard it. "Winter…"

The noble then straightened, looking just as regal as ever, even in Yang's old clothes. (It had taken most of the previous afternoon, but Ruby had helped Weiss alter Yang's old things so that the much smaller-figured noble wasn't positively swimming in them. Once Ruby had undone all the seams, Weiss had even helped by trimming the excess cloth while Ruby sewed the pieces back together.) "I thank you for telling me. I'd ask you to pass on a message for me, but I suspect I'll be seeing her sooner than yourself."

"Most likely. I'll be stuck in Atlas for a while. Otherwise I'd be tempted to come along with you to keep my nieces out of trouble." He dropped a hand on Ruby's shoulder to get her attention. "Why don't you take the princess over to meet Tai and Summer? I want to talk routes with Yang a bit, make sure she knows where to go and how best to get there."

"Shouldn't we all be part of that discussion?" Weiss asked pointedly.

He waved a hand lazily. "Probably. But I got some other stuff I wanna discuss with her, stuff that has nothing to do with you. Get going, Princess. Ruby'll need a couple of extra hands anyway."

Weiss was clearly dissatisfied by his answer, but eventually dropped her pack down next to where Ruby had just set hers down and motioned for Ruby to lead the way.

Ruby was initially a bit nervous about making Weiss help, but when the young noble made it abundantly clear that she was waiting for Ruby to do _something_ , the hooded girl shrugged inwardly and started walking. Three minutes later, Ruby had led Weiss to a small meadow of wildflowers the two sisters had planted once long ago. For a while, Ruby and Yang had come nearly every other day to pull weeds and water the seeds they had planted. Even after the sisters stopped visiting as often, the flowers bloomed, released seeds, and sprouted anew all on their own, eventually spreading and covering this section of the cliff with a blanket of soft petals and vibrant colors that returned every spring.

Ruby gestured to the flowers to let her white-haired companion know that she was allowed to pick them, and started gathering her own bouquet, making sure not to pick too many flowers from a single area. Evidently, Weiss had taken her gesture to mean do as she did because after a moment of hesitation, the noble followed after Ruby, picking the same flowers that she did. Well, no matter. At least she didn't seem so out of place now that she was doing something; in fact, if Ruby didn't know better she'd say that her companion was actually a little in awe of all the flowers. The older girl kept pausing to look around her at the sight, and Ruby caught her bringing the flowers to her face once or twice, clearly savoring their sweet scent.

Soon enough, both of them had a sizable bouquet in their hands. Ruby then plucked a strand of long grass to tie the flowers together, an action which Weiss mirrored once she saw what the smaller girl was doing. Afterwards, Ruby led them back to the two graves. Yang and Uncle Qrow were still there, quietly conversing near the trees, but Ruby didn't bother eavesdropping though she probably could have if she wanted to. If Uncle Qrow said anything important, she knew Yang would tell her later.

Ruby set her bouquet of flowers on her mother's grave, taking a brief moment to trace the letters carved onto the headstone. She couldn't read them, but she knew what they said. "Summer Rose / Thus kindly I scatter." She then took the other bouquet from Weiss and placed it on the other grave, her father's grave. His headstone said, "Taiyang Xiao Long, beloved father, husband, and friend," or at least that's what Uncle Qrow told her.

She wished she could remember them. Her mother she couldn't remember at all except for her white cloak. Her face, figure, voice, and even scent had long faded from Ruby's memories. All she had left were the stories that Yang and Uncle Qrow told her. Ruby still remembered bits and pieces of her father though. Strong, muscular arms. Blond hair like his oldest daughter. Large hands hardened with callouses. But he, too, was fading from memory.

Ruby knelt before the two graves, quietly gathering her thoughts.

_Hi Mom, Dad. Sorry it's been a while since I've visited._

_I've been doing better. I was doing really good, actually, until a couple days ago. I...had a flashback._

Her hands trembled just thinking about it, and her pulse quickened. She gripped one forearm with the opposite hand and focused on breathing steadily, counting each breath until she was calmer. When she had brought herself back under control, she continued her silent communion.

_I had a couple of nightmares since then. Couldn't really sleep after them either, but I couldn't even remember last night's nightmare, so I think they might be going away again. I hope so. Yang's been worried because I haven't been sleeping._

_Oh! Yang's doing good. She's always so amazing—so strong, brave and confident...she's the best sister I could ever hope for. I just wish I wasn't always dragging her down with my problems. I think she got into another fight over me. She wouldn't tell me anything, like usual, but she smelled like she had used her Semblance. I wish she wouldn't. I'm...not worth that._

As always, the slight crack in her consciousness opened the floodgates to the thoughts she usually tried so hard not to let into the forefront of her mind.

_Would...you be mad at me if I thought that? Because sometimes I feel that way. Not always!—but sometimes. Would...you be ashamed of me because I can't even go into town without my heart racing and sweating? I can't even talk to people. Every time I try, the words die in my throat and I get all panicky. You were both strong and brave warriors, and I'm...well, I'm me._

Awkward. Weak. Always scared of people.

_Yang always tells me that I'm amazing and that she's proud of me, but I don't feel amazing. I always feel like I'm not doing enough, that I'm falling short. I'm always making Yang pick up after me, making her get into fights over me when she shouldn't have to. If I was just more...more normal, maybe she could relax once in a while instead of worrying over me all the time._

_Would you be upset if I thought that?_

_Yang does. She always gets this super sad look on her face, so I try not to let her know. More than anything else, I want her to smile and be happy._

Ruby glanced over at Weiss who was standing a little ways away from her. The little wolf girl frowned as her sensitive nose wrinkled slightly. Such grief, sadness, and regret wafted off the white-haired noble. Ruby wondered if Weiss had lost someone dear to her as well. Ruby didn't really keep up with things outside the village so even though the Schnees were important people, she didn't really know much about them. Maybe she'd ask Yang later. She might know.

_Umm...we brought someone with us this time. This is Weiss. She came to us for help and I...I really want to help her._

Ruby shot another hidden glance at the noble as she tried to organize her thoughts.

_The other night, she was crying really hard. I think she's hurting...a lot. I don't know if there's anything I can do about it but...I want to. I really want to. I'm not a hero like either of you, but maybe there's something even someone like me can do. Or at least I want to try. Would you be proud of me for thinking that?_

_I hope you're doing well, wherever you are. Wish us luck. Hopefully I'll have an amazing adventure to tell you about when I come back._

Ruby rose from where she had been kneeling and brushed off her knees. _I love you_ , she added as a parting note before turning around to go back to Yang and Uncle Qrow. And she really did love them. She might not remember either of them that well but what she did remember, she cherished as best she could. There might be a small empty place in her heart where they were supposed to be, but that was alright because Ruby had Yang and Uncle Qrow. As long as they were around, she had everything she'd ever need, now and forever.

* * *

Yang might have been feeling slightly hungover, but she had always been the high-functioning sort of drinker. Most of the time she acted drunker than she really was, a trick she learned from Uncle Qrow when he'd still been drinking. People stopped being as careful when they thought you were drunk, and you could end up learning things they didn't necessarily want you to know. In short, they underestimated you and Yang loved being underestimated, if only so that she could see the expression on the other person's face when they realized there was more to her than met the eye.

Right now, that meant even though she was spending her morning lurching this way and that, drinking water and eating twice as much food as her companions to offset the whatever alcohol was left in her system, and blinking against the bright sunlight, she wasn't blind to the way Ruby was interacting with their white-haired guest—well, as of the night before, their client.

Her socially avoidant, shy, reclusive, and often somewhat awkward baby sister was going out of her way to interact with someone more than she had to, and not only to be polite. Polite meant serving food and drink, and then fading away into the background so that people forgot she was there like she had done the first night Weiss had stayed with them. This Ruby, however, was doing far more than that, from fetching a water basin and cloth so that the noble could wash her face in the morning to lending the older girl her comb. Summer's comb. The little wolf Faunus barely used it, but Yang knew she treasured it, just like she did with all the other things Summer had left behind—as few as they were—but here she was letting Weiss use it.

Yang had to blink twice and rub her eyes to make sure she wasn't imagining things. Sure, Yang had made a point to speak to Weiss before they parted the other day in hopes she could help break Ruby out of her shell, but she didn't actually expect anything to come of it, at least not right away.

And there was Weiss to consider, too. It was subtle, but the young noble was also treating Ruby slightly differently than before. As soon as Yang had told Weiss that Ruby couldn't speak, that familiar wall had come up—the one that made people avert their eyes from Ruby and turn to Yang for any and all social interactions—the one that made them stop treating her like a person with her own mind. However, even though Yang had only been gone for a little over a day, that wall had been broken down? True, the noble was still a bit hesitant and awkward, but it was clear she was trying, judging by the murmured thanks and occasional soft questions.

And there was no way Yang missed the fact that the hand-me-downs she'd packed for Weiss now fit her almost perfectly. While it might have been possible that Weiss had altered the clothing herself, Yang had looked at the seams and recognized her little sister's simple but neat stitches—the same style of stitches that was all all their clothing since Yang was hopeless at that sort of thing. She doubted Weiss would have asked for help so Ruby must have offered it. Her little sister had taken the initiative to approach a stranger _without_ _Yang_. That had never happened before.

Something must have happened between the two of them while she had been gone, yet Yang couldn't imagine what.

"Something wrong, Firecracker?" Uncle Qrow asked her. She turned and realized he'd been watching her watch Ruby and Weiss walk away to the flower field, as she liked to call it.

She hesitated and then shrugged. "I don't think I've ever seen Ruby so calm after being told to go off somewhere with a stranger before." The two of them shared a knowing look. It was too soon for them to be able to tell if this was going to be a good thing or bad thing but Yang, for one, hoped it was a sign that Ruby was starting to move forward.

Yang waited until Ruby and Weiss were well out of an earshot before she asked, "So you really know Weiss's sister?"

"Uh-huh. Not well, but yeah, I know her." Uncle Qrow ambled over to a tree and withdrew a heavy pack out from behind it.

Yang hummed for a moment before asking, "Do you think Weiss is who she seems? Is she trustworthy?" Could she trust the white-haired noble with her precious baby sister?

"Dunno. What do your instincts say?"

"When I first saw her? That she's in over her head and at the end of her rope. That she needs help."

"And so you decided to stick your neck out for her." Uncle Qrow glanced at his oldest niece, who shrugged, before bending down to rummage through his pack. "Well, if the girl is anything like her older sister, then you're doing the right thing. The Schnee patriarch...is not a good man. Wouldn't be surprised if that scar on her face is his fault somehow."

Yang's expression darkened at that. "Seriously?"

Uncle Qrow nodded. "Her older sister only shared a few stories with me, but they were enough. You're going to have to be careful. He's got eyes and ears everywhere, and more influence than he should. Worst yet, it looks like he actually wants his youngest daughter back, and what Lord Schnee wants, Lord Schnee usually gets, one way or another."

He pulled out two rolls of parchment, one tied with a plain leather cord and the other with a black leather cord. He untied the first one and unrolled it on the ground for Yang to see. Yang crouched down for a better look.

Then she blinked. "This is…"

It was a map. A well drafted one at that.

"Yep. Atlas. And the other is of Vytal for when you get there. You're taking them both, no arguing."

"But Uncle Qrow, we can't take this." Maps, especially accurately rendered ones, were incredibly expensive. It was hard to survey the land to get accurate distances and mark every major landmark when the wilderness was often crawling with Grimm. It took a brave soul, lots of money to hire protection for that soul, and often weeks of travel to get even a fraction of a map completed, hence why it was near impossible for normal people to get them. Maps were things for military officers, wealthy merchants, Huntsmen and nobles, not normal folk like her and Ruby.

"You can and will. Think of it as an early Midwinter present if you have to, now shut up and listen." He pointed to a spot on the map that had been marked with a small black star. "This is Patch. Normally it wouldn't be on a map like this; it's too small, but I added it on just in case you two planned on coming back." He glanced up once into Yang's eyes, looking as serious as ever. "I personally don't recommend it, at least not until we can be sure that Faunus rights are moving in a positive direction. Dunno how you're going to convince Ruby, though."

Yang gave a weak smile. "I was sort of planning on crossing that bridge when I get there rather than worry about it now."

"Think she'll get mad at you?"

"I...can't see her getting mad. She'll be sad, for certain, that she didn't get a chance to say goodbye to the villagers, but I think she'd understand eventually. It helps that you'll be coming along after us. We're her world. If either one of us was staying behind, she'd come right back, but if neither of us were here anymore, I can't see her being nearly as attached to the place."

"Let's hope you're right." Uncle Qrow gestured for her to look at the map once more.

He traced his finger along a dotted line. "These are the main roads, specifically ones that are patrolled by the Riders."

He pointed at a horseshoe symbol. "These symbols indicate where the Riders are stationed. If you ever need to send word to me, you can probably pay them to send a message my way. It'll be quicker than trying to use the regular messenger service at any rate. Safer too. You never know who actually runs a proper messenger service and who's running a scam to pocket people's money and goods. Regulation has become nonexistent since the Atlas Council decided they care more about lining their own pockets than actually running the province.

"Dots with a ring around them indicate the largest of the walled cities. Regular dots indicate towns large enough and important enough to show up on a map; most of them are major trade centers or at crossroads that see a lot of traffic. Now here's where it gets iffy."

Uncle Qrow pointed to three different spots that had been marked with red, yellow, and green dots. "I talked to as many Riders as I could, but a lot of them haven't done a lot of traveling outside the immediate area in a while. Red dots indicate towns that they remember being there years ago, but they might not be there anymore." It went unspoken that when there were monsters that preyed solely on humans wandering the lands outside of the walled cities, towns and villages could rise up and disappear with none the wiser. Remnant was littered with the ruins of failed cities and towns that had been wiped out by Grimm. "Yellow dots indicate towns that have been confirmed within the last five years, and green dots indicate towns that have been visited recently. It's not all of them, but I marked as many as I could."

"This is going to be so useful, Uncle Qrow," Yang breathed as she examined the map from top to bottom, "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. Just be careful that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands, alright? There are bandits and thieves that would kill for something like this."

"I promise."

"Good, now one more thing." He pointed to a small circle with three black pine trees inside it. "This is where I've been getting Ruby's medicine." Yang felt her hangover burn away in an instant as she stared intently at that little circle.

Uncle Qrow continued, ignoring the wash of heat that suddenly hit him. "It's a medium-large town by the name of Black Rock. Fairly good people, but unfortunately very anti-Faunus. The people there are mostly miners, and you can guess that they were less than pleased when the Atlas Council started offering 'free' food, jobs, and homes to the Faunus, while they're struggling to make a living." He ignored Yang's annoyed grumble about humans who were too stupid to realize they were being fed lies.

"You'll be looking for a place called 'Black Pines Apothecary,' and this is their storefront symbol, three pines in a circle. It's owned by a crotchety old man from Mistral. Goes by the name Kuromatsu, Kuro for short. I hear his name literally means 'black pine' in one of Mistral's old tongues. Just tell him I sent you, and he'll know what you want." He glanced over at his niece as he rolled up the map. "I'm serious about the place being anti-Faunus. Keep Ruby out of town and make sure she knows to stay out of sight even in the surrounding area. No use asking for trouble when you can avoid it."

"I will," Yang promised as she accepted the two rolled up maps almost reverently. Uncle Qrow tossed her an oilcloth-wrapped case to slide the maps into to protect them from the elements. It reminded her acutely of the small tube Weiss had been so protective of the night before and wondered briefly what the noble was hiding. A small part of Yang was worried that whatever it was would put her and Ruby in danger in the not too distant future, but the more practical side of her knew that short of an army of Grimm or a team of rogue Huntsmen gone mercenary, she and Ruby were well prepared to take on most threats.

Yang slipped the case into her pack just as Ruby and Weiss walked back into view. Yang took a brief moment to watch as her little sister knelt before the two graves. She used to do the same, but that was a long time ago. She didn't know if the dead really hung around or visited to check up on the living, but she had never gotten the feeling any otherworldly beings were there. Even if they were, Yang had nothing good to say to Taiyang, and Summer...Yang had let Summer down. Yang was the big sister; it was her job to keep Ruby, Summer's real daughter, safe. Deep inside, Yang knew that Summer probably would never have blamed her—that she had considered Yang her daughter as well, regardless of blood—but Yang would always blame herself. If the dead truly were around to offer comfort to the living, she didn't deserve any of it, at least not from Summer.

Uncle Qrow's voice broke into her thoughts. "Got something else for you. Ruby's already got that whistle around her neck so it makes sense for you to hold onto this." He unlatched the pendant he had worn around his neck for as long as Yang could remember and put it around her neck. It featured the profile of a silver crow etched out of metal with a single red gemstone to serve as the crow's only visible eye. Yang could only gape in shock as her uncle gave her one of his most valuable possessions, the other being his sword.

"It's only on loan," he added, correctly anticipating the argument that had been about to spill from Yang's lips. "Keep it safe, and give it back to me when we meet up again. It's not much, and it'll probably be downright useless unless you meet the right people, but I know quite a few people in Vytal. Pretty important people at that. Can't tell you who they are, but if you encounter one of them and they mention a dusty old crow after seeing that pendant, you'll know they're someone you can trust and they'll know you're connected to me. If you ever run into trouble, don't be afraid to use my connections."

Yang blinked. "Umm...thanks? But you're being...really vague."

"I know, but sometimes secrets exist to keep people safe. This here's one of them. I'm sorry I can't tell you much more than that. I'm already breaking a ton of rules by telling you this much. Just tell whoever it is that 'Qrow's calling in a favor' and they ought to lend you a hand." His eyes slid away and when Yang followed his glance, she realized Ruby and Weiss were coming back over to them.

She wished she could question him more, but she figured there was a reason he told her all this while Weiss had been otherwise occupied. He did that a lot—tell her important things right before something else happened so that she couldn't ask too many questions, probably because he knew how stubborn she could be about getting answers. She grumbled inwardly, before turning her attention to Ruby, whose own attention was riveted on the pendant around her neck. Even though she couldn't see the girl's expression, she knew Ruby's eyes were probably wide open with surprise, much like Yang's had been earlier when she'd first received the precious piece of jewelry.

 _I'll tell you later_ , Yang mouthed, and Ruby nodded solemnly in return before slipping in close and wrapping an arm around Yang's waist. Yang automatically wrapped an arm around her little sister's shoulders, sensing how much she needed to feel someone close right now. She always did after visiting their parents, and Yang was more than happy to oblige. Anything to make Ruby feel better.

* * *

Weiss stood stiffly as she watched the three family members before her conversing with one another. Well, two family members conversing with one another with quiet pauses whenever the smallest of them started moving her hands.

It was all so foreign to her. She felt out of place here to the point where she could feel the tension coiling in her neck and shoulders.

 _Is this what family is supposed to be like_? she wondered. Warm touches. Gentle gazes. Joking words. Soft smiles.

She couldn't help but compare it all to the cold, empty halls of the place she had come from. Her father's harsh gazes, cutting criticisms, calculating smiles, and dismissive attitude towards his youngest daughter came to mind almost instantly, sending a creeping chill through her heart. _I don't think I've ever seen Father with the kind of affection this man has for his nieces, not even towards his favored son._

The sisters were so fortunate they had someone who cared for them so—so fortunate that they had each other.

Weiss couldn't help but stiffen as soon as the thought hit her. _Wait. That sounds like...like I'm jealous._ That couldn't be. She was a Schnee. There was no reason for her to be jealous and yet, she couldn't quite quell the sense of irritation she felt watching the close-knit family. Her crossed arms tightened, and a corner of her mouth turned downwards.

 _I'm just getting irritated that this is taking so long. We should have already been on the road by now._ Satisfied that she had found a reasonable explanation for her sudden drop in mood, she opened her mouth to strongly hint that perhaps they should be on their way soon when the rather scruffy-looking uncle spoke.

"I'd be a piss-poor uncle if I didn't give you girls new toys before ya headed out. Firecracker?" He handed a small bag to Yang, who opened it curiously.

"Wow, Uncle Qrow! Fire Dust-bombs!" Yang had an expression of pure glee on her face, causing a shiver to run down Weiss's spine. The man was giving the impulsive woman explosives? Was he mad?

"No blowing up the campfire this time," the man said. He must have noticed Weiss's face growing pale for he said to her, "There's a reason I call her Firecracker."

Yang rolled her eyes. "I only did that the one time. Besides, it was all good. No one got hurt."

"Not for the lack of trying," he retorted. "Almost set the tents on fire, and we had to eat jerky that night since you burned what should've been our supper to a crisp."

He turned his attention to his other niece. "C'mere, Pipsqueak." He handed Ruby a leather bundle that was tied shut. Weiss craned her neck to look in spite of herself, and felt her eyes widen a touch upon seeing the hooded girl pull back a corner of the leather and pull out one of the items from within. A Dust-arrow. Fire Dust, to be exact, judging by the red crystal in the arrowhead and the corresponding red-marked fletching.

Weiss shot a scrutinizing look at the man. Dust-weapons were expensive. Who was this man that he could get such items on such short notice? He couldn't have known his nieces were leaving until yesterday afternoon at the very earliest, after all. Or was it that Dust was a lot more prevalent among the lower classes than she had been taught all her life? She frowned inwardly, unhappy that even the one thing she should have been an expert in was thrown into question like everything thing else she had encountered since running away. A creeping sense of inferiority tried to rise up, but she stomped on that feeling quickly. Not now, and preferably not ever. She forced her attention away from her thoughts and turned it back to the others.

"And this," the girls' uncle added after Ruby had redone the ties and carefully placed the bundle of Dust-arrows with her pack. He undid one of the swords at his side and passed it to his youngest niece, who took in her hands almost reverently. "I was gonna give this to you on your birthday, but seeing as you're not gonna be here, I guess I just have to give it to you early. The blade you've got now is good for what you've done up until now, fighting in cramped quarters with lots of obstacles to avoid, but out in the southern hills where you're headed?—you're going to need something that gives you a little more distance in battle. It ain't the biggest sword out there, but it's the best I could find that suits your style of fighting."

Weiss watched as the hooded girl drew the new weapon and instantly noted several things. One, the new blade was noticeably longer than the one currently attached to Ruby's side by at least ten inches or so. Two, the blade was thinner and tapered off into a sharper point though it, too, was a single-edged blade rather than the growingly common double-edged blades she was used to seeing. Lastly, it had a slightly wider guard than the girl's old one, though not by much.

Ruby stepped back several feet, swished the sword through the air a few times, clearly testing its weight and balance, and then broke into movement. The blade sang as the hooded figure cut and parried invisible foes, smoothly moving from defense to offense and back again.

Weiss couldn't help but stare hungrily at some of the techniques, her mind instantly churning to see which techniques could be adapted for her rapier and trying to work out how she would react to and counter each strike herself. The noble was almost disappointed when Ruby eventually ground to a halt, and her fingers were still itching to draw her own weapon and try her hand at some of the techniques she just witnessed. She barely managed to restrain herself and only managed to do so by reminding herself that they still had at least half a day's worth of traveling to do, and the more time wasted here was less time spent on the road and getting farther away from her pursuers.

At least the demonstration had proven that Weiss had made a wise decision in hiring the young woman, even if it meant having to put up with that aggravating older sister of hers. It restored a thread of confidence that had been absent that morning to the young noble. She could do this. She _would_ do this. Her future and destiny were _hers_ now, not her father's or—Dust forbid—her future husband's, assuming one of those many suitors of hers managed to win enough of her father's approval that he'd be willing to hand her over to form a marriage alliance. Weiss shuddered just thinking about it. Many of those men were twice, even three times her age!

Thankfully, her attention was drawn back to the trio before her, though it did bring back that uncomfortable feeling of being out of place. Still, it was better than contemplating whatever her father had in store for her had she not gathered the courage to leave.

"Alright, you two," the girls' uncle said, "what are the rules?"

Rules? What rules?

Yang rolled her eyes as she said, "Uncle Qrow, don't you think we know them by heart by now?"

"Humor me, Firecracker. For old time's sake."

The golden-haired woman huffed, but it was clear she wasn't nearly as opposed to it as she pretended to be. "Rule number one: Trust each other."

"That's right. When you're off in strange lands, the best thing you can do is always trust your team. Rely on them and be reliable. Next."

Ruby made some hand motions and tapped the spot over her heart. The black-haired man caught Weiss's eye and translated for her. "Right, trust your instincts and your heart. If something doesn't feel right, get out of there. It's better to run and live to fight another day than to take chances and get yourself in a mess that you can't get out of."

Yang gave the next one. "Rule number three: Take care of your body." For some reason she bent down and stared hard into her little sister's hood as she spoke.

"Good. Better to take a few extra days to rest and heal up if you need to than to push yourself only to have your body collapse on you when you really need it. Last one. Ruby?"

Again, Ruby made a few hand signs and then reached out to take Yang's hand in hers.

"That's right. Take care of each other," the man said softly. "Take care of each other so that you can all come back at the end of the day." To Weiss's surprise, the somewhat gruff man wrapped an arm around each of his nieces, both of whom returned the display of affection almost instantly. He might have whispered something to them as well for when the three of them broke apart, Yang's eyes were looking somewhat misty and Ruby was rubbing her eyes beneath her hood.

There wasn't much talk after that. Yang and the girls' uncle, Qrow, broke off to spend a few moments standing before the two graves while Ruby took the time to pack away her new arrows and sword. Then, after one more exchange of goodbyes from both sides, Qrow grabbed his pack and started making his way back to the Riders' Keep. The remaining three shrugged on their packs once more and left, leaving behind only the flowers on the graves to show any sign that anyone had been there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Act I


	9. Better (Part I)

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!"

Weiss grumbled at the disgustingly cheerful voice, pulled her blanket over her head in an attempt to block out both the sun and its noisy, golden-haired herald, and then promptly regretted moving. Although Weiss was using her Aura every night to ease the worst of her aching muscles, she still woke up stiff and sore every morning since starting this Dust-forsaken journey.

There was a slight pause and then the voice said, "Don't make me get my water canteen. I just refilled it from the stream, and we both know how much you love how crisp the water feels first thing in the morning."

Weiss bolted upright, desperately fighting sleep's call, and doing her best to ignore the protests of her poor, overworked body. "I'm awake," she mumbled crossly as she managed to find enough energy to glare at the smirking woman looking down at her.

"Shame, that. I was looking forward to making you sing again."

Weiss's glare narrowed as she remembered how the other woman had splashed her with water when she couldn't summon the will to get out of her bedroll the first morning of their new journey. The water had been frigidly cold, and Weiss had screeched so loudly that she had scared the nearby bird flocks into temporary silence, much to Yang's amusement. However, now that they were nearly two weeks into their journey, Weiss was learning that when Yang was involved, to continue to engage was to lose, so she just huffed irritably and turned away. Out of the corner of her eye, she sensed rather than saw Yang shrug and go back to her task of making breakfast.

Weiss gave a long, slow stretch, her breath catching as muscles she didn't even know she had ached fiercely with every shift in movement, no matter how minor. Then, she climbed out of her bedroll and began the task of shaking out each piece so that she could roll it all up neatly. The sisters had to show her how to do it properly, but it was easy enough once she did it a few times. She couldn't help but be inordinately proud of herself. To her, even something as simple as learning to use a bedroll was a huge victory—yet another chance to prove to her father that she was more capable than he ever thought, albeit in spirit only.

Once the task was done and her things were all squared away, ready for another long day of travel, she glanced around and noticed with some disappointment that Ruby was nowhere to be seen. Usually the smaller girl would be running through her sword training exercises around this time while waiting for Yang to finish making breakfast. In truth, Weiss couldn't help but be quite taken at how dedicated the hooded swordswoman was to her craft. As soon as the trees and vegetation had started to thin, Ruby switched to using her new sword as her main weapon now that there was more room to maneuver. She still used her shorter blade from time to time, but her training sessions were increasingly focused on getting used to her new weapon as quickly as possible.

Personally, Weiss didn't think the girl needed to bother. Regardless of which sword she was using, the young swordswoman was a thing of beauty to watch. Weiss might not have been familiar of the particular style the girl was using, but there was a level of expertise in any craft where observers had no choice but to watch in awe. Ruby was well past that level, Weiss couldn't help but note with more than a little jealousy. Weiss swore to herself that she would start holding her own training sessions with Myrtenaster as soon as her legs weren't threatening to fall off every time they stopped for the night.

However, this morning the swordswoman was nowhere in sight. Weiss surveyed the area and frowned when she noticed that Ruby hadn't even packed away her bedroll yet. It lay there on the ground, tousled and messy, annoying the young noble who couldn't stand disorder in any form. She resisted for the entirety of about five seconds before sighing and walking over to straighten and roll it up for the absent girl. Honestly, for someone with so many obvious skills, the girl could be such a mess. This wasn't the first time Ruby had wandered off without rolling up her bedroll, and Weiss could only assume it wouldn't be her last.

Yang glanced over at her when she started moving and after she saw what Weiss was doing, her lilac eyes glowed with a level of approval that made Weiss uncomfortable. "Thanks," Yang said as she gave the pot another stir. Weiss did her best to ignore the slight burning in her cheeks and just huffed in response.

Weiss remained quiet until she was finished, taking care to make sure her work was neat and precise. Then she asked, "Where's Ruby?"

Yang shrugged. "Probably out running. She does that sometimes."

Weiss stared at her. "Your sister went running."

"Yep."

"Even though we've got another full day of travel before us?"

"Crazy, right? Her stamina is something else. If she were on her own, she could probably cover twice or three times the distance we've been walking every day."

Weiss was tempted to ask if Yang was joking, but the unabashed pride in the other woman's voice told her that Yang was telling the truth. Yang might dote endlessly on her little sister, but as far as Weiss could tell, she never boasted about anything that wasn't true—which was something that had been starting to wear on Weiss's nerves though she would be hard pressed to explain why.

Thankfully, she didn't need to think on it further for Yang started dividing whatever she had been cooking into their customary three bowls. Knowing what to expect by now, Weiss promptly covered her ears with a grimace just as Yang yelled out, "Ruby! Breakfast!"

Weiss uncovered her ears and a few seconds later, both of them heard the piping of that little whistle Ruby always wore around her neck, letting them know she heard. She must have already been on her way back, because the whistling sounded closer than Weiss expected. Sure enough, a few moments later, Ruby bounded out of the trees and plopped herself down next to Yang, who handed her a bowl and spoon before starting to partake of her own meal.

Still, Weiss didn't miss how Yang was surreptitiously glancing over at Ruby now and again as they all began to eat. For some reason, the older sister was constantly concerned about whether Ruby was eating enough or not. Much of their mealtimes consisted of Yang trying to cajole her younger sister into eating a few bites more. Weiss didn't understand it. Yes, there were times where Ruby seemed to be skipping meals, most often in the morning, but a few skipped meals weren't that big of a deal. Even if the girl didn't feel like eating first thing in the morning, they all carried a sack of jerky, nuts, and dried fruit if they got hungry on the trail. In the end, Weiss decided the older sister was simply being fussy and overbearingly protective like usual, and filed the observation away in the box she had created in the back of her mind that she had labeled "the sisters' idiosyncrasies" and left it at that.

* * *

It was several days later when Weiss saw her first Grimm.

It had been a day like any other until the tweeting of Ruby's whistle suddenly pierced the silence. By now Weiss had learned that the silent girl often used the whistle in place of her voice. Greetings were the most common. Whenever Yang or Weiss wandered away from wherever they were camping for the night—usually to collect firewood or fetch water from the stream—the girl was sure to use that silver whistle of hers to trill the series of notes that Weiss learned meant "welcome back" upon their return. It had been odd, at first, but now Weiss was more or less used to it. However, this was the first time Weiss had ever heard Ruby use her whistle on the trail, sending a flutter of unease through Weiss's chest, a feeling that only grew when Yang suddenly stopped short.

"What's wrong?" Weiss asked, her brow furrowing.

Yang glanced back, clearly trying to decide whether to tell her or not. Weiss crossed her arms and waited with an expression that used to make the servants sweat. Not that any of her usual tactics ever seemed to work on Yang, but it didn't hurt to try.

Yang sighed. "If I tell you, will you try to stay calm and not panic?"

Of course, being told to stay calm and not panic had the opposite effect, and Weiss's heart skipped a beat before she managed to get it back under control. "Of course," she replied, trying to sound more confident than she truly felt.

She must have done well enough to fool Yang, for the taller woman eventually answered, "That whistle just now was Ruby letting us know that there are some Grimm headed this way."

Weiss's heart stuttered again. Grimm. Soulless beings of darkness that were bent on the destruction of both human and Faunus alike. She knew she would encounter some eventually, but she didn't expect that day to come so soon. It was one thing to read about them in household reports and research books, and quite another to know that she'd be seeing one firsthand. Unbidden, memories of her father's men who managed to survive Grimm attacks rushed to the surface, and she vividly remembered the men's painful looking scars and missing limbs.

She drew a shaky breath, shoved the memories back down to where they wouldn't distract her, and squared her shoulders. She gripped Myrtenaster and let its familiar weight calm her. She wasn't helpless. She had spent a good portion of her teenage years mastering her rapier. She could do this.

"Can you maintain a defensive Aura?" Yang asked, breaking into her thoughts.

"Of course I can!" Her nerves caused her response to be a bit more stringent than she intended. Thankfully, Yang was too distracted to take offense.

"Good. Put it up the moment the Grimm come into sight." Yang turned her eyes away and seemed to be waiting for something. After a few moments of silence, a series of eerie howls sounded out in the distance, causing a shiver to run up Weiss's spine and the hair at the back of her neck to stand on end. "Beowolves," Yang muttered softly to herself. She glanced back at Weiss, "Those howls belong to Beowolves."

Weiss recalled what one of the books at the castle said, "Beowolves, wolf-like Grimm that travel in packs and can stand on two feet or four."

"Right," Yang said, her surprise clear. Somehow, it irked Weiss to know the golden-haired woman thought her to be so ignorant, but she pushed that feeling aside. Now was not the time.

"Like you said, they move in packs," Yang continued, heedless of Weiss's internal pique. "Their greatest danger is that they always attack in numbers. Younger Beowolves are no smarter than rabid animals, attacking anyone that crosses their path, heedless of their own safety, but older ones, Alphas in particular, are intelligent enough to fight smart. Sometimes they'll go for the most vulnerable of the party; other times they'll target the leader to break morale—I've seen them do both. In general, all beowolves are fast and mobile when on all fours, but their most powerful attacks come when they rise up on their hind legs and use their forelegs to bash, claw and slash."

"How can you beat them?" Yang gave Weiss an undecipherable look. "What?" the white-haired noble asked.

Yang shook her head—causing Weiss to frown—and continued speaking as though there hadn't been a pause. "Beowolves' shoulders and forelimbs are heavily muscled, but all that muscle comes with a price. They're extremely top heavy so it's hard for them to move around quickly on only two legs. Disable or cut off one of their forelimbs and it throws them off balance, creating openings that'll allow you to dive in close to finish them off. The thing to remember is that most Grimm are like any other living creature, meaning they'll die the same way, too. They're just more durable and have that annoying bony armor for us to deal with. Beheading works, as does doing enough damage to their body. Stabbing them through their ears, eyes, or throat usually works as well, but whatever you do, don't just stand there expecting them to die quietly. Most Grimm will retaliate even as they're dying, so get out of the way unless you want to get clobbered."

Yang's final words were punctuated by a whirlwind of leaves and rose petals and suddenly, Ruby was right beside them, her hooded cloak fluttering from the speed of her arrival. Weiss reached out and caught one of the brilliant crimson petals from the air, feeling its velvety softness between her fingers.

"Rose petals?" She'd seen these before, that day when Ruby had rescued her from the men who were trying to drag her back home. There had been some in the carriage. Those had come from Ruby? "I thought Ruby's Semblance was speed." It had come up once in conversation one evening.

"It is," Yang answered.

"Then what are these?"

The other woman shrugged. "Dunno and neither does Uncle Qrow. It's just how Ruby's Semblance expresses itself. Whenever she activates her Semblance, she starts shedding rose petals."

"But they feel real." Yes, Semblances were physical manifestations of one's Aura, but they didn't _stay_ in this world. They dissipated as soon as the Aura powering them expended itself.

"Yeah, that's the funny thing," Yang said as she reached down to pick up a petal for herself, rubbing it gently between two fingers. "They do fade eventually. It's really pretty when they do. They sort of glow and break up into little fragments of light, but we have no clue how or why." She released the petal and let it flutter back to the forest floor.

Weiss turned her questioning gaze on the hooded girl in question, but Ruby was busy shedding her pack, reminding Weiss of more immediate concerns, the approaching Grimm.

"Now then," Yang said as she also slipped off her heavy pack and dropped it at the base of a nearby tree next to Ruby's, "how many Beowolves are headed this way, Ruby?" Yang rolled out each of her shoulders and flexed her elbows and wrists, trying to limber up, before pulling on her cestuses.

Hurriedly, Weiss also dropped her pack and made sure Myrtenaster was secure at her side and easily drawn. As she did so, she watched as Ruby held up ten fingers and then two. She paled. Twelve Beowolves against the three of them?

But for some reason, neither of the sisters seemed particularly worried.

"Uh-huh," Yang said as she crossed her arms, looking stern, "And how many were there to start with?"

Weiss watched in shock as Ruby sort of wilted and then sheepishly held up ten fingers, then six. Sixteen.

Yang sighed gustily. Sounding both proud and exasperated, she said, "Ruby, you're supposed to wait for your backup before you go slaying monsters, remember?"

"Wait. Are you saying she already killed four of them? Alone?"

"Why all the surprise? This _is_ what you hired us for, right?"

The approaching sound of snarls and scrabbling claws distracted Weiss from responding. They sounded much closer now. She drew Myrtenaster just as the hooded girl in front of her drew both her blades.

 _Both blades?_ she wondered. True, Weiss had seen the swordswoman practice wielding her swords in both her dominant and non-dominant hands, but never together. Was the girl holding even more training sessions than Weiss was aware of? The thought caused an uncomfortable ripple deep within her.

Weiss didn't have time to consider why for suddenly, a wave of black and white seething bodies burst into view, weaving in and out of the trees separating the two parties. She swallowed hard, feeling her pulse starting to hammer in her chest. They were a lot bigger than she expected. Standing, any one of the Beowolves would dwarf a full grown man by at least two heads, if not more, and though they seemed lanky for their size, their shoulders were quite broad. If she got hit by one of those heavily muscled forelimbs, Weiss had no doubt that she'd be sent flying. The thought made her tighten her grip on Myrtenaster nervously.

Yang moved up next to her, the taller woman's body radiating heat as it always seemed to do. "Don't worry. We won't let them hurt you. Just make sure you keep your defensive Aura up at all times."

Weiss glanced up in shock, blue eyes meeting lilac. Yang sounded serious. She rarely ever sounded serious unless Ruby was involved. Yang smiled comfortingly at her and gently patted Weiss on the shoulder, for once holding back that monstrous strength of hers. Something brushed up against her elbow, and Weiss turned to see the other sister standing there.

"See, even Ruby's telling you it'll be alright. We've been hunting Grimm for years. We've got this."

Against her better judgement, a small part deep inside of Weiss loosened up at the sisters' assurances. She gave a tight nod in response as they all turned to face the approaching onslaught of Grimm.

* * *

Seeing that Weiss was calmer now and knowing Yang would hang back to protect her, Ruby gripped both of her blades, activated her Semblance, and slammed into the oncoming Beowolves like a crimson arrow. Using two blades was something she was still getting used to, but it felt right somehow. She ducked beneath one snarling Beowolf, slashing it across its leg with one Aura infused blade while using the other to deflect the claws of another. She spun and danced to avoid two other Beowolves, catching one across the shoulder and shearing two claws off another, before breaking through the wall of black and white bodies and ending up behind them.

Taking advantage of the Beowolves' confusion at suddenly having an enemy blast through them, she slipped her whistle between her lips and blew hard, causing at least half of the pack to slow and turn towards the sound. She continued tweeting as she darted in close to the nearest Beowolf, slashed it across the muzzle, and darted back all in an instant, this time only using a touch of her Semblance. Uncle Qrow's lessons echoed vividly in the back of her mind.

" _There's nothing wrong with using your Semblance, but don't become reliant on it. Too many Huntsmen and Huntresses treat their Semblances as a last resort to get them out of any jam and the moment they come across a foe it doesn't work on, they fall apart. Or, they do the opposite, using their Semblance over and over again, wasting their Aura, and end up being unable to throw up a basic defensive Aura when they need it most. Use your Semblance, but don't get used to it. Complacency will only get you killed."_

The handful of Beowolves that she managed to distract came after her in response to their packmate howling in pain. Good. That was her job as the vanguard. Scatter, confuse, distract, and harry the enemy so that they were too frazzled to regroup and take advantage of their numbers, keeping the rest of her team (usually a group of Riders) safer.

It was a tried and true tactic that Ruby, Yang, and Uncle Qrow had come up with during one of their many hunts. The Aura-less Riders on their team might not be able to kill a Grimm easily, but working together in groups of three or four, they were more than capable of surrounding and distracting a lone Grimm—keeping it from attacking any nearby civilians—long enough for one of the Aura-warriors on the team to come and finish it off. Better yet, the tactic gave all the Riders (regardless of their Aura-strength or lack thereof) valuable experience against the Grimm while also keeping them as safe as possible, raising the survivability of the group for those occasions when they were forced to face a Grimm without an Aura-warrior around to rely on.

Ruby ran at the pack facing her, only to strafe to the left at the last second. A couple Beowolves snapped their giant maws at her, but their fangs caught nothing but a mouthful of rose petals. She slashed at two more of them as she passed, one across one of its forelimb and the other across its flank, before circumventing the group entirely, much to their confusion.

Once she was past them yet again, she activated her Semblance for the third time, closing the distance between her and the group of Beowolves that she had failed to distract earlier instantly. They were still a good thirty feet away from Yang and Weiss, giving Ruby plenty of space to wreak even more havok. She wreathed both of her swords with Aura and blasted into the pack from behind, cleaving one Beowolf in half entirely, causing it to burst into crimson rose petals.

It was odd, Ruby thought to herself as the petals of the fallen Grimm danced around her. The Grimm Ruby killed always burst into rose petals if she used enough Aura when striking them down. That never happened for any other Aura-warrior Ruby knew, not even Uncle Qrow who was just downright amazing or Yang with whom she shared blood with; and according to Uncle Qrow, neither of her parents had that ability either. Normally, Grimm were supposed to turn into that cloying, inky, mist-like ash upon extermination, but not for Ruby—not if she was going all out and using her Aura at its fullest like she just did.

Even as lost in in her thoughts as she was, Ruby's offhand sword flashed, slicing off the forelimb of another Beowolf the instant she caught a black flicker in the corner of her eye. The shorn limb burst into crimson petals just as the Grimm it belonged to tumbled, bowling into its nearest packmate after finding the limb that should have been there suddenly gone, yelping all the way. Ruby had to leap backward to avoid getting caught up in the tangle of flailing limbs and heavy bodies.

Ruby exhaled sharply as she whirled to send an Aura blast into a third Beowolf just as it was about to leap at her, sending it flying in the opposite direction—not as far as Yang could have, but Ruby put enough Aura into it so that the Beowolf would be stunned for a few moments when it finally hit the ground or a tree. When facing multiple enemies, every second counted. It would be stunned long enough for Yang to deal with the others before it could rejoin the fight.

As Ruby paused long enough to take a breath, more of Uncle Qrow's teachings filtered through her mind, as they often did when she was in the middle of battle. Oddly enough, his gravelly voice echoing in her ears was soothing rather than distracting.

" _Anger and hate are common human and Faunus reactions to the Grimm. Lots of Huntsmen and Huntresses loathe them with a furious passion. Me? Not so much. Our emotions are meaningless to the Grimm, except, I suppose, as a beacon for them to find us when we're feeling lost and hopeless, sad or angry. The Grimm exist for one reason and one reason only: to destroy. They don't even have to think about it; it's instinctive to them, just like eating and breathing are for us. Don't bother with anger and hate. They'll only cloud your judgement and make you waste energy on the battlefield._

" _Fear though...fear can be useful. A little bit of fear is healthy. It'll keep you on your toes, keep you wary, and if you're really lucky, keep you from being stupid. Fear is normal against monsters that exist for nothing more than destroying all of humanity and Faunus-kind; just don't let it take over. Let a seed of fear sharpen your senses, but don't let it swamp you and slow your reactions."_

The thing was, Ruby had never really feared the Grimm. Sure, she respected the damage they could do, but she didn't fear them, not really. Not when the Grimm couldn't be any other way. It would be like fearing or hating a wolf pack for stealing and killing sheep—utterly pointless because it was just in their natures and there was no other way they could possibly be.

People were the ones truly worthy of fear. People had so much potential to do good yet they could easily do great harm instead. Many times they could do both in equal measure, and there was no telling what kind of person someone was simply by looking at them. _That_ was the scariest thing of all.

Ruby always knew what to expect from the Grimm, but people were unpredictable. People who were perfectly friendly one second could turn cold and distrusting the instant they caught sight of Ruby's wolf ears or tail. What was worse was when they turned their disgust onto Yang or Uncle Qrow just for being associated with her. Neither of them should have to weather all those harsh gazes just because Ruby was different. Her wolf ears pinned themselves back at the memories just as she sidestepped a Beowolf's lunge and brought her sword up under its throat, decapitating it all in one smooth motion and sending even more petals into the air.

Ruby glanced over her shoulder to make sure Yang had everything under control, before raising her blades to scatter the rest of the Beowolf pack once more.

* * *

Weiss watched in utter shock as the two sisters decimated the Beowolves one by one. It seemed that they were utilizing a divide and conquer style of fighting. Ruby darted around the battlefield, causing general chaos and confusion among the enemy and keeping them scattered, while Yang took down the few that decided that the crimson blur shedding rose petals everywhere wasn't worth pursuing.

Weiss had to consciously close her gaping mouth when she saw Yang send a Beowolf flying through several trees with just a single Aura-infused punch. It didn't get back up. True, those trees were rather small, but _still_. Another Beowolf leapt at the golden-haired brawler only to be grabbed midair and hurled unceremoniously into one of its companions. A fourth was beaten so brutally with a series of rapid Aura-infused jabs and punches that Weiss almost felt sorry for the creature in spite her herself.

Briefly, Weiss wondered why Ruby left most of the extermination to Yang when she was clearly capable of killing the Beowolves on her own (judging by how easily she dispatched the two in front of them only a few moments before), but now really wasn't the best time to ask.

"Weiss! On your left!" Yang bellowed out suddenly as she slammed her fist into another Beowolf.

Weiss turned her head just in time to see one of the wolven Grimm bounding towards her with a snarl. It rose up on its hind legs at the last second, and one of its claw-tipped forelimbs flashed down upon her. The Beowolf must have broken away from the others at one point, using the trees to hide as it circled back around them. What had Yang said? That Alpha Beowolves were the ones that showed more intelligence? Did that mean this Beowolf was an Alpha?

Almost as quickly as the thoughts and questions hurtled through Weiss's mind, she drew on the power of her Semblance, felt the exhilarating rush of energy pour from her core and stream down her arm, and threw up a defensive Glyph between her and her attacker. She gritted her teeth as the Beowolf's claws skidded across her faintly glowing, semi-transparent shield, feeling the impact of the blow ghost against her Aura and warning her to keep the shield up. Then, there was a bestial howl of pain, and the pressure against her Glyph disappeared. Weiss looked up and for a moment, all she saw was a curtain of crimson rose petals. When the petals finally cleared, she caught sight of a familiar hooded cloak. Ruby stood before her, blades at the ready, and the Beowolf that had attacked Weiss was now missing the same forelimb it had used to attack her.

Weiss could only stare at the back of Ruby's hood incredulously. The girl had been at least twenty-five feet away, if not more; she was sure of it. Weiss hadn't even seen her move yet here she was. Had the girl been holding back all this time?

Weiss's hand tightened around Myrtenaster's hilt. This was no good. Right now, Weiss was little more than a burden. Something to be protected. Something that couldn't even stand on its own.

_Weak. Powerless. Pathetic._

She gave her head a shake, trying to dislodge the voice in the back of her mind that always sounded so much like her father. She raised the tip of her rapier with a scowl.

"Ruby!" she snapped. "I can handle this on my own!"

The hooded warrior seemed to hesitate for the briefest moment before nodding. She deflected the Beowolf's next blow and leapt back behind Weiss.

As soon as Ruby was out of the way, Weiss lunged, piercing through the Beowolf's throat with the Aura-charged tip of her rapier. She grimaced at the unpleasant feeling of stabbing through that thick hide only to encounter whatever lay beneath it. Whatever it was, it made her skin crawl the moment it came in contact with her Aura. She suppressed a shudder and as soon as she had completed the attack, she pulled back, remembering Yang's warning about the danger of Grimm death throes. The Beowolf made a strangled sound that might've been a growl and took a shaky step forward as though it was still trying to come after her before the light in its red eyes dimmed. The beast fell forward, its body heavy enough that Weiss could feel the earth tremble as it hit the ground

It had only been one strike, but Weiss found herself breathing hard, borderline gasping, as though she had just sprinted from one side of the forest to the other. Her sword arm and hand trembled from exertion, and she still felt a bit nauseated by the Grimm coming into contact with her Aura. It was the first time she had ever used her Aura offensively, and she was surprised on how much it had taken out of her. But she had done it. She stood victorious while her enemy lay vanquished at her feet.

 _Father was wrong. I_ _ **can**_ _do this._

Weiss took a deep breath, doing her best not to choke on the acrid stench emanating from the disintegrating Grimm, and raised Myrtenaster once more so that she was prepared if any other beasts came her way.

As she did so, Ruby (who had come up beside her while she had been catching her breath) did the strangest thing. The hooded girl flipped her short sword so that the blade was upside-down in her grip, held her fist out, and stuck her thumb up in the air in Weiss's direction, before flipping her sword back so that it was being held properly again.

"She's telling you that you did a good job," Yang's voice said into her ear, causing the noble to jump in surprise. Yang grinned as Weiss glared at her.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Yang ignored her. "Was that your first Grimm?" she asked. Weiss nodded warily, not sure where the taller woman was going with this. She was utterly shocked when Yang continued, "Well done, Princess. You used a little bit more Aura than you had to, but it got the job done."

The white-haired noble just blinked. What? That was it? No cutting criticisms or harsh words telling her to stay out of the way? Then she caught herself. _Well, of course not. Not everyone is as cold as Father._ She watched as the two sisters reconvened, the older patting the younger on the shoulder while spouting words of praise as she always did. _These two most of all._

Weiss looked away from the two sisters, still rather uncomfortable with their constant open affection for one another. She took the opportunity to survey the battlefield and possibly check for any survivors, but all the Grimm had either been exterminated or had fled in the face of the sisters' onslaught. Weiss's Beowolf had been the last of them, and it, too, had already started dissolving into Grimm-ash.

That was when a thought suddenly flitted across her mind. "You said you two have been hunting Grimm for years?"

Yang blinked as both sisters turned towards her at her inquiry. "Well, yeah. We're some of the only ones in Patch that have our Auras unlocked, and we both know how to fight so it just kinda happened."

"How old are you?"

"Me? I'm twenty-two, and Ruby's going to be sixteen pretty soon."

It took a few seconds for Weiss to fully process what Yang had told her, but when she did…

"What?! You mean to tell me your sister is only _fifteen_?!"

Yang cocked an eyebrow at the other woman's strident tone. "Yeah. What of it?"

Weiss's mouth opened, closed, and opened again before she managed to mumble, "Nothing…"

Weiss was so shocked at the revelation that she didn't notice the curious look Yang gave her.

Fifteen. _Fifteen_. Weiss had assumed the girl was young based on how small she was, but _fifteen_? A choking wave of inferiority crashed over Weiss, and she struggled to breath normally so as not to show her weakness before the two sisters who were standing only a few feet away.

Weiss had been protected and saved all this time by a mere slip of a girl. A _child_. A child that for some reason could slay giant monsters of darkness, was a master swordswoman, could run all day while still having the energy to train every morning and night, and was apparently an amazingly skilled huntress of wild game (judging by how often they ate fresh meat on the road), but she was still just a child. Weiss had been relying on a _child_ at least four years her junior. A child four years her junior that seemed effortlessly more skilled than Weiss, herself.

All at once, the phantom of her father that had haunted her all her life rose up in the back of her mind, its voice snide and taunting. _Well, what did you expect? That someone like you could be anything but subpar? Foolish girl. Even Winter was far more skilled than you'll ever be. Go back to your books and music. At least if you practice more maidenly pursuits and brush up on your Dust studies, you can help your brother form an alliance when the time comes._

Weiss gritted her teeth and clenched her fists tightly. She ordered the taunting voice, _Shut. Up._

Things were fine. And the things that weren't quite "fine" were still salvageable. All Weiss had to do was start training again. It wasn't her fault that her sword lessons had been halted and that she hadn't many chances to practice using either her Aura or Semblance. As long as she started training now, she was sure she could catch up. She was a Schnee after all, and the Schnees were inferior to no one. Especially not to some fifteen-year-old commoner girl.


	10. Better (Part II)

Ruby crept through the trees, taking care not to tread on any crackly leaves or dry twigs that would announce her presence prematurely. One step. Then another. She shifted her swords so that they wouldn't catch on the shrub she was passing and lifted the bottom of her cloak just enough to avoid a patch of brambles. With the ease of long practice and ingrained habit, she stepped from one patch of mossy soil to the next, from one rock or tree root to another, taking each step slowly so that her boots didn't make so much as a rasp.

Her wolf ears twitched as she tracked her quarry. She was close. She could hear her quarry's feet dancing across the forest floor, pausing every few seconds only to begin moving again. Ruby tried to time her own movement with that of her quarry in order to mask any inadvertent sounds she might be making, although she was fairly certain she was virtually silent. Still, a little extra caution never hurt anyone.

Almost there.

She dropped to her belly and crept through the undergrowth to get past the last stretch of trees.

Closer.

And closer.

Then…

"Ruby!"

The hooded girl flinched and dropped flat to the ground, her tail curled tight against her body and her ears folded back.

There was a silence. Maybe her quarry had just been guessing?

Alas, it was not meant to be, for the same irritated voice called out again. "Ruby, I know you're there! If you don't show yourself this _instant_ , I'll—"

Ruby didn't wait for the white-haired noble to finish her threat. She scrambled to her feet, heedless of the leaves and twigs stuck to her clothes and cloak, and hurriedly stumbled out from behind the last row of trees.

Ruby didn't want Weiss to be mad at her; she just wanted to watch her train a bit and maybe let her know supper was almost ready. The noble's Glyphs were just so amazing and pretty to look at, and Ruby had never seen someone use a rapier before. She knew what a rapier was, of course. Uncle Qrow once brought her and Yang to the Riders' armory to give them a lesson on weapons and armor. Their uncle's voice had been so serious when he spoke to them.

_"In a perfect world, humans and Faunus would band together to fight off the Grimm and protect each other. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world, and there are people out there who would have no qualms about turning their weapons against each other. Bandits, criminals, thieves—even rogue Huntsmen and mercenaries. That's why you two need to know the different kinds of weapons and armor you might come across and how to counter them should the need arise. It sucks that we have to be wary of our fellow people, but that's the sort of world we live in."_

Rapiers were a civilian's weapon, which was why Ruby hadn't seen one before. They weren't really robust enough to be useful in the wilds of Remnant. They could cut, but they were more effective as thrusting weapons, something that Ruby had gotten to see firsthand the other day. That lunge had been amazing to watch, perfectly balanced with no wasted movement!

Ruby wanted to see what else Weiss could do, but the white-haired noble didn't like to be watched while training, it seemed, and after the first time she realized Ruby was trying to peek in on her practices, she always stopped as soon as Ruby was nearby. The question was, how did she always know when Ruby was around? The hooded girl was sure that she hadn't made any sound, and it was doubtful Weiss would have noticed her crawling through the undergrowth. Maybe Weiss could sense Auras at a distance? It wasn't a common skill, but Uncle Qrow had mentioned once that some Aura-users could.

As Ruby stood there, fidgeting a bit beneath Weiss's displeased gaze and nervously picking off the worst of the debris stuck to her clothing, she shot little glances over at the noble.

Weiss stood in the center of the small open area she had chosen, her rapier drawn, her offhand propped up against her hip, and her foot tapping the ground impatiently. The moment those icy blue eyes turned their glare upon Ruby, the smaller girl couldn't help but shrink, her shoulders curling inwards and her head lowering to the point where her ears were almost even with her shoulders.

And apparently it was the absolute wrong thing to do because the next moment, "Don't slouch! Honestly, your deportment is utterly appalling."

Ruby hurriedly straightened, bouncing up so quickly that she almost threw herself off balance. She had to quickly lean the other way so that she didn't fall over. Ruby winced inwardly as the noble rolled her eyes at her. The hooded girl looked down at her feet. Why did she always have to be so awkward around other people? And what had she done wrong?

She thought they had been getting along, but then all of the sudden Weiss had grown snappish and prickly, like a snapping turtle crossed with a porcupine, and Ruby didn't know why. It seemed like no matter what she did, Weiss was annoyed or mad at her. It was getting to the point where a large part of Ruby just wanted to give up, to retreat and let Yang handle any future social interactions like she usually did, but every time the thought crossed her mind, she remembered how much pain the white-haired girl had been in as she cried into Ruby's shoulder that night at the cave, and Ruby found herself wanting to give it one more shot. Maybe this time she'd figure out how _not_ to annoy the older girl and make her smile.

That's all this boiled down to in the end, Ruby realized as she sent another glance at the other girl from beneath her hood. She wanted Weiss to be happy in the same way she always wanted Yang and Uncle Qrow to be happy. She wanted to see her smile and not look so strained all the time. She'd done it once before, so maybe if she kept trying, she'd manage to do it again. Everyone deserved to be happy if they could.

Everyone.

Unless that happiness could only be brought about through hurting or harming others, but Weiss didn't seem like that kind of person, even if she was a little prickly. Or a lot prickly. But Ruby was sure that beneath all the prickles, there was a nicer person deep down inside!

Weiss crossed her arms. "Well? What do you want?"

Ruby fought the urge to cringe at the noble's harsh tone and signed weakly, _It's time to eat._ By now, the two of them had spent enough time together for Weiss to have picked up some of Ruby's simpler signs so Ruby knew she'd understand even without Yang translating. The knowledge did little to ease the churning in her stomach or the uncomfortable tightening in her chest though. Weiss's obvious displeasure was starting to get to Ruby. She had never responded well to negative emotions even as a child, and that trait had only worsened as she got older. She couldn't help but start to fidget and shift in place, trying to ease some of the nervous tension inside her before it overwhelmed her.

Weiss heaved a sigh. "I'm not hungry." She turned away and raised her rapier to what Ruby now recognized as the fencer's basic stance. Curiosity got the better of her and Ruby stared, waiting to see what Weiss would do, only for Weiss to turn back and narrow her eyes at her. "That was the signal for you to _leave_."

Oh. Ruby wilted.

Not only was Weiss adamant not to let Ruby watch her training sessions, but she also wasn't going to eat with them. Again. These days, the noble dropped her things off at camp, set up her sleeping area for the night, and then wandered off to some secluded area to train with her rapier and Semblance, often for several hours at a time. Then, she'd stumble back, swallow down whatever food Ruby and Yang left for her, crawl into her bedroll, and fall dead asleep as soon as her head hit her small pillow. It was worrying. Weiss was breaking Rule Three: Take care of your body, and it was starting to show.

The white-haired noble was exhausted all the time now, and it didn't seem like she was sleeping well either. She was pushing herself too hard, and Ruby didn't know what to do about it. Yang told her just to leave Weiss be, that sometimes people had to crash and burn before they learned their lesson, but...she felt like leaving Weiss be would be the worst thing to do. Plus, Ruby was trying to be what Yang and Uncle Qrow had always been for her, and that meant stopping Weiss before she pushed herself too far and hurt herself. Ruby just had to figure out how.

She cast another look at Weiss, taking in the fencer's sagging posture, her limp grip on her weapon, the darkening circles beneath her eyes, and the subtle trembling of her legs.

Hesitantly and not entirely sure the noble would understand but wanting to try anyway, Ruby signed, _You should rest._

Ruby flinched when Weiss suddenly snapped, "I don't understand what you're trying to say, and I don't care! What part of ' _leave_ ' do you not understand? Do you need me to spell it out for you? I don't want you here. You're being a nuisance. An eyesore! So just _go away_."

The anger in Weiss's voice sent Ruby's already peaking anxiety through the roof. Her breathing hitched as a heavy weight started pressing down on her chest. She couldn't breathe. Her body suddenly felt cold and foreign.

She was drowning. Choking. She had to go. She had to leave before Weiss saw just how shamefully _broken_ Ruby was. She turned and ran, activating her Semblance so that she could get as far away as possible before she finally broke down.

At some point in her mad dash, her feet grew sluggish and stopped listening to her. She tripped over something—she didn't know what—and she went down in a painful tumble of frozen arms and legs. As soon as she hit the ground, she started gasping. Her heart pounded so hard that she felt like it would explode. Her panic intensified uncontrollably as she lay there, struggling to breathe.

She was in the middle of nowhere. Alone. Without Yang. She couldn't defend herself. She couldn't even move.

She wasn't _safe_.

That thought alone caused her to spiral down even further. The forest vanished around her. Fragments of nightmarish memories invaded her mind. The stench of blood burned her nostrils. The phantom pain of long healed wounds crawled across her skin, sending all her nerve endings aflame. She even felt the phantom trickle of hot blood leaking from invisible wounds. She _knew_ she wasn't actually hurt right now—that it was just her traitorous mind playing tricks on her again—but it all felt so real, like she was back _there_ again. Downwards she sank, deeper and deeper into her personal waking nightmare.

_A soft whimper escaped her throat as she ran blindly through the forest. Branches reached out as though with skeletal hands, clawing at her clothes and scratching what little remained of her of her uninjured skin._

_She had to run. She had to hide. Or else they would hurt her again. But in her panic, she failed to watch where she was going. Abruptly, she tripped over something and fell. Against her will, she cried out. Oh no. She'd been too loud. She scrambled to her feet, but it was too late._

_"Found you." A rough hand grabbed her by the back of her shirt and dragged her back. She fought to get away, but a slap to her head sent her reeling. Tears blinded her, but she still saw that flash of dull silver that was slowly being stained black in the fading evening light. A keening whine escaped her lips._

_"Shut up!" She was cuffed harshly. "What an annoying sound."_

_"Well, she is an animal. Makes sense that she'd sound like one, too." All of them laughed at that, their voices raucous and jarring against her ears._

_The laughter died down. "Whose turn is it now?"_

_Another voice. "I'll do it."_

_The bloodstained knife exchanged hands. The scent of her own blood in the air made her choke and gag, but she had nothing left to expel._

_Her breathing grew erratic, and her body tensed with sick fear. Another rough hand grabbed her chin and forced her to look up. They wanted to see her fear, her terror, her pain. She jerked with a cry as the knife bit into her skin yet again. Not deeply. No, never deeply. They wanted their game to last, after all. Their twisted game of catch-and-release._

_The hand on the back of her shirt let go, and she fell to the ground. She fled from the sickening sound of their laughter, running as fast as her short legs could carry her._

_Quieter. She had to be quieter. She couldn't cry no matter how much she hurt—no matter how much they hurt her. They were humans so as long as she stayed quiet, they wouldn't find her. Except she couldn't hold back her sniffles so they kept finding her. They kept hurting her. Quiet wasn't good enough. She had to be silent. Utterly silent. As long as she stayed silent, she might be safe._

Ruby didn't know how long she lay there, trapped in the past, but eventually she gave one last shuddering gasp and her body went limp. Her face was a hot and sticky mess. Tears still leaked from her eyes as she curled up into a ball. The movement stretched her skin, sending another wave of phantom pain across her body. She could still feel every cut they had made against her skin, every blow and bruise, every time they had grabbed her. It felt disgusting. She rubbed frantically at her neck and arms, desperately trying to get rid of the phantom hands still clinging to her. An involuntary sniffle escaped her, and she flinched at the sudden sound.

Shame washed over her, sending a fresh cascade of scalding tears down her face. She was so _pathetic_. She'd been scared by her own _sniffle_ of all things. Those men were long gone. Yang and Uncle Qrow promised that they'd never come near her again—that they'd never ever hurt her again—but still those men had such a hold on her.

Ruby took a few quivery breaths, swiped at her wet eyes, pushed herself to her knees, and then stumbled to her feet, swaying unsteadily. She had to get to the river to get cleaned up. She didn't want Yang to see her like this. She didn't want Yang to worry. Yang might still guess that something had happened because it shouldn't take Ruby so long just to fetch Weiss and come back, but that couldn't be helped.

She could only hope that Yang wouldn't ask too many questions when she got back. Yang would instantly blame Weiss, and it wasn't really Weiss's fault. It was Ruby's fault. She was the one who was so weak, so pathetic, that she let a simple figment of her imagination overwhelm her like that.

She released one shaky breath and wrapped her cloak more closely around herself as though the little piece cloth could protect her. She closed her eyes and attempted to focus on her surroundings, trying to ground herself.

Her sinuses were still clogged so she couldn't smell anything, but the slight breeze felt good against her face. She shifted slightly and felt the roughness of her clothes, the thickness of her gloves, and the sturdiness of her boots. She flicked her tail and felt the back of her cloak billow out and settle again. Her wolf ears twitched, rubbing against the inside of her hood. Her skin still prickled from residual phantom pain, but she could tell it was fading little by little. She took a deep breath through her mouth and released it slowly, doing her best to imagine all the bad things inside of her flowing out with every stream of air. She did it a few times more before she opened her eyes again.

Her grounding exercise could have taken five minutes or five hours for all she knew but at the very least, the moment of stillness helped her remember that she was fine. Well, maybe not fine-fine, but no matter how bad she felt now, she knew she would be fine. Maybe not today, maybe not even tomorrow, but there was always the next day and the day after that. She had to believe that. She wanted to believe that.

Her hand crept up to the whistle Yang had gifted her all those years ago, and she gripped it tightly. One sniffle or needy hug from her, and Ruby knew that Yang would drop everything to wrap her up in a warm embrace and whisper words of love and comfort into her ear. She couldn't take advantage of that warmth this time around—not if she wanted to make sure that Yang didn't corner Weiss to find out why Ruby was so distressed—but knowing the option was there made all the difference. Ruby wasn't alone, and she'd never be alone. That was their promise.

She would be fine.

* * *

Ruby was starting to skip meals again.

Yang watched as Ruby, for the third time in as many days, shook her head with hunched shoulders after barely eating more than a bite of supper. The girl hadn't eaten much for breakfast either. Yang ignored the sick, churning feeling in her stomach and did her best to smile softly at her baby sister. Showing how worried she was would only put more pressure on Ruby and subsequently worsen the problem. She knew that from experience.

Yang vividly remembered the one time she'd lost her patience with Ruby and how, overcome with worry, she'd berated her baby sister for not eating. Even in the midst of her agitation, Yang remembered watching Ruby almost cave in on herself as tears of shame poured down the smaller girl's face. The girl had activated her Semblance and run from the cabin. It had been so dark that night, and it was only thanks to the trail of rose petals Ruby left behind that Yang was able to go after her at all. Yang still remembered being out of her mind with fear and worry as she grabbed a lantern and ran out after her. After searching for what felt like hours, Yang finally found her baby sister at the foot of a tree, crying so hard that she was gagging. (Yang was certain she would have been outright vomiting if there had been anything actually in her stomach). That was the night Yang swore that she was never _ever_ going to push Ruby that hard again, for both their sakes. It had been torture, cradling her baby sister, tears streaming down both their faces, as Ruby tried to get her body back under control.

If only Yang knew what was going on inside Ruby's head! Then maybe they'd be able to fix the problem. But either Ruby didn't know or she didn't want to talk about it, because Yang had yet to get a satisfying answer from her. Or maybe she couldn't talk about it. They'd done their best to work around Ruby's silence, working out different hand gestures to communicate as much as possible, but every now and then the girl struggled to express more complicated thoughts. All Yang could do now was monitor her sister closely, try to cajole her into eating when she could, and know when to back off when she couldn't. It wasn't nearly enough, but Yang didn't know what else to do or if there was even anything she could do. Bribes worked to an extent when trying to get the smaller girl to eat, but they weren't a solution. Oh how Yang wished she had a solution.

Uncle Qrow told her that Ruby's eating problems were probably a reaction to extreme stress or anxiety and that they ought to be temporary. Remove the stress, give Ruby time to calm down, and she'd be fine. Thus far, that did seem to be the case. The longest Ruby had ever gone without eating more than a few forced mouthfuls a day had been eleven distressing days. Yang didn't know what had caused her to stop eating that time around (though Yang suspected Ruby's nightmares had taken a turn for the worst as they sometimes did), but Ruby eventually start eating again even without Yang having to stage some sort of intervention. More often, even if Ruby skipped one meal, Yang was usually able to get her to snack on something later to try to make up for it. That was Yang's main goal when her baby sister got like this: Make sure Ruby ate something, because anything was better than nothing at all. This time, however, Ruby was struggling to get anything down at all.

It made Yang worried sick.

Yang had been cautiously optimistic that Weiss might have a positive influence on Ruby. Ever since she'd left the two alone to head to the cave together, they had formed some sort of strange synergy that, though odd, seemed to be good for both of them. Ruby was clearly making an effort to interact with the young noble, and Weiss was...not patient or even kind, exactly—plus, she had one of those faces that always seemed to be displeased or annoyed—but there was no doubt she softened when Ruby was around. It was extremely subtle though, so subtle that if Yang hadn't been watching closely, she might have missed it altogether.

However, this past week Weiss had grown cold and hard, leaving Ruby confused and Yang irritated. Yang didn't care if Weiss was short with her, but she'd be damned if she let the stuck-up noble pick on her little sister. There was no doubt in her mind that part of Ruby's anxiety and stress, maybe even most of it, was due to Weiss's sudden change in demeanor. The noble hadn't been the friendliest person around to begin with, and now she was downright abrasive, even caustic at times. Yang had been doing her best to stay out of it—Ruby needed to learn how to better interact with people, good ones and bad, and Yang could tell she was trying so hard with Weiss—but Yang was reaching the end of her patience. She could only watch her little sister get rebuffed so many times before she felt like stringing the noble up by her ankles and leaving her to hang.

A sudden clatter followed by a loud splash suddenly broke into Yang's thoughts. Both sounds were instantly punctuated by a shrill, "What do you think you're doing?!"

Yang turned away from where she was setting up her bedroll to see an irate Weiss standing over a shrinking Ruby. Instantly, Yang saw red. She strode over with clenched fists, doing her best to remind herself that no, she wasn't allowed to punch first and ask questions later. It wasn't a good business practice for one—punching one's employer was a surefire way to get sacked (something she knew from personal experience)—and for another, Ruby would probably be very unhappy with her.

Yang grabbed Weiss by the shoulder, yanked her away from Ruby, and placed herself between them. "Hey, what's your problem with my little sister?!"

"My problem? Your little sister just dropped a basin of water on me!"

Lilac eyes glanced down and noticed the fallen basin, the wet earth, and Weiss's soaked shoes and socks. "So? It's not like she did it on purpose. It was an accident."

Weiss's frosty glare narrowed. "Of course _you_ would say that. You'd probably let her get away with murder, considering how much you baby her."

Yang felt her own eyes narrow. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

Yang snorted derisively. "Yeah, I heard you acting like a total ass."

Weiss's expression turned to outrage. "Excuse me?! How dare you!"

"I'm only telling the truth, _Princess_ ," Yang retorted, ignoring Ruby who was tugging on her arm in an attempt to pull her away or get her to stop. Nope, not happening. Not this time. No one was allowed to terrorize her baby sister.

"Well if I'm being less than civil, perhaps I have reason to be. In case you haven't noticed, your little sister has been following me around _relentlessly_. I can't even have a moment of privacy without her showing up out of nowhere and interrupting."

"Privacy? You mean those silly little training sessions of yours? Hate to break it to you, but she's only showing up because you're being stupid about them. _Someone_ has to go and fetch you when you finally keel over from overwork."

Weiss bristled. "I'm doing _just_ fine."

"Oh, really. That must be why you look more and more like hell every day. Shaky limbs, red eyes, and dark circles beneath them must be a new fashion trend in Atlas. Very attractive, by the way."

Anything Weiss might have said in return was lost as Ruby blew on her whistle, causing the other two to flinch, and then shoved herself between them.

Weiss reached out and yanked the whistle from Ruby's lips. "Stop doing that!"

Yang's blood boiled. "Don't you _dare_ yell at her!"

"Don't you dare yell at _me_! Don't forget, _I'm_ your employer. If you want to get paid, I suggest you rethink how you should address me."

Argh! _This_ was why Yang hated nobles. All of them believed that just because they had money, they were better than everyone else and they made sure everyone knew it, too. Accept a job for money and suddenly you had to worship the ground they walked on even if they were arrogant, pompous asshats.

Then a thought came to Yang, and a grin spread across her face.

"You're right," Yang said with false serenity, "you're our employer."

"Of course I am." Yang's grin widened as Weiss suddenly looked a lot less confident in the face of Yang's sudden amicability.

"And it slipped my mind that one of the...requests from your verbal contract was that we ensure that you're able to fend for yourself in the possible event that we are unable to see you all the way to Vytal."

A look of unease, maybe even insecurity, flashed across Weiss's face before it was hidden beneath her usual stern expression. Bingo.

Yang continued, "Now, I'm not saying we're leaving you alone just yet. It's early and it only makes sense that we'd run into a few...disagreements along the way as we get used to each other.

"Your quarrel with Ruby? She's only 'following you around' because she's worried about you, but if you prove capable of managing on your own, I'm sure she'd stop. You have to admit, you haven't given her very many chances to show that you're fine on your own. After all, _she's_ the one doing all the important survival things—running ahead to set up camp, starting the campfire, cooking supper, fetching water so that you don't have to trek the extra two-hundred or more feet just to wash up a bit after the long day of walking, and so on—and since she's been doing everything, she has no clue what you're capable of. This is a great chance to change that, and even better, it's a great chance for you to learn anything you don't know yet about roughing it.

"So from now on," Yang said with an evil grin, "you're on campfire duty. We'll even make it fair. If you can't build the campfire, we'll all make the sacrifice and no one will be getting any hot meals."

The look Weiss gave Yang could have curdled milk. "Fine," she shot back before stalking away.

Yang leaned back on her heels, rather pleased with herself. Even if the stuck-up little noble managed to start a campfire (which she highly doubted), there were other things Yang could make her do. Digging the latrine pit, fetching water or firewood, cooking—the possibilities were endless. Either way, it was high time the noble started pulling her own weight and started helping with chores.

On a normal trip, the two sisters would share all the chores, but ever since Weiss had joined them, Ruby had been going out of her way to make things as easy as possible for the noble. In other words, she had been taking on more than her fair share of the chores so that Weiss could just sit and rest until suppertime. The only reason Yang hadn't stopped her sooner was because it was the first time she'd ever seen Ruby taking a real interest in someone outside of the Riders and their small family of three. And she had been doing so well! The last thing Yang wanted to do was scare Ruby back into her usual avoidance of people, but if Weiss was going to continue acting like this, she wasn't the sort of person Ruby should be spending time with anyway.

Enough was enough. Weiss either had to shape up or Yang was going to leave her at the next town they came across.

* * *

Weiss growled inwardly as she glowered at the golden-maned mountain of a woman strolling along in front of her as though there wasn't a giant burden hanging from her broad shoulders. The woman was absolutely maddening! What was she—part ox? Bear?

And this whole campfire duty nonsense? It was ridiculous! The woman was a human torch, for Dust's sake! Weiss had seen her start a fire by simply sticking her hand in a pile of firewood and calling upon her Semblance. Leaving Weiss to start the fire every night was beyond foolishness. A complete waste of her time. She could be using all this time to train and get stronger, but no, she was stuck trying to start a measly little campfire.

Three days. She'd been on campfire duty for three days, and she hadn't managed to start a single fire. Oh, she could make sparks now. It took her nearly an hour to figure out how strike the flint and steel together just right to create that frustratingly ephemeral little sliver of glowing light, but she had done it. Figuring out how to get the spark to go where she wanted it to go was a whole different story though. And even if she was lucky enough for the spark to fall into her little nest of tinder, it always went out before she could attempt to make it grow. It was infuriating! Especially knowing that Ruby, her firebuilding teacher, a _child_ , could do it so easily. The girl was probably laughing at her from beneath that hood. And why not? The great Weiss Schnee couldn't even start a paltry campfire. She was useless. Deadweight. Helpless without someone to rely on.

The thought sent a coil of anger through her veins. Well, she'd show both of them. They wouldn't be laughing if they saw what she could do with a handful of Dust.

And why did she have to do this anyway? Wasn't Yang the one who said all those things about how not everyone had the same skills and that there was no shame in asking for help or relying on others when one lacked certain skills? Clearly, she was a hypocrite of the highest order. If Weiss was so painfully bad at this, why didn't one of them step up to take over? The massive woman was probably just enjoying watching Weiss struggle.

And to add insult to injury, Yang had stuck to her proclamation that if Weiss failed to make the campfire, they wouldn't get any hot meals. She or Ruby would still make a small fire before bedtime to ensure they didn't freeze during the night, but no one was allowed to use it for cooking or even making tea.

To her great and utter shame, going without hot meals was far more difficult to adjust to than Weiss expected. She never realized just how comforting a hot meal at the end of the day or first thing in the morning could be until she didn't have it anymore. Cold, hard jerky in small amounts was barely palatable, but having it as an actual meal without being able to soften it in a soup or stew? Weiss would sooner go hungry than risk breaking her teeth on the overly-salty, unpleasantly tough strips of dried meat. The only reason Weiss wasn't starving yet was because of the nuts and dried fruit she carried.

So caught up in her own thoughts was she that she didn't notice the two sisters had stopped until she ran into Yang's pack. "Hey!"

"Shh—!" came the curt response.

The corner of Weiss's mouth turned down at Yang's tone, but she held her tongue. She drew even with Yang so that she could see Ruby who was standing further up the trail.

Up until now, Ruby had always traveled separately from Weiss and Yang. As their forward scout, it was her job to run ahead to survey their surroundings and keep an eye out for any notable dangers or obstacles. Because of that, Weiss usually only saw the girl in the evening and in the morning when they had stopped for camp. The rest of the time, she was like a ghost, invisible but you knew she was there.

However, a few days ago Yang had pulled the small girl aside and told her to walk with them. Weiss hadn't meant to eavesdrop—she was too well-mannered for that sort of thing—but it wasn't her fault that Yang didn't really have a "quiet" voice. Her normal tone seemed permanently set to loud and louder. Apparently, Yang was worried that Ruby might collapse somewhere on the trail because of the girl's meal-skipping, so she ordered Ruby to stay within sight instead of running off like she usually did. Hence why Ruby was actually walking with them for a change.

The hooded girl stood frozen, her head turned to the side and tilted up slightly as though listening for something. Finally, she turned and signed something to Yang who crossed her arms and drummed her fingers in response.

Hating to be the only one out of the loop, Weiss asked sharply, "What is it?"

Yang gave her a level glance. "Grimm," she answered succinctly. "Can't say I didn't expect it, but I hoped we'd have more time…" She trailed off, biting her lip in thought.

Weiss couldn't stand the silence for more than a few seconds. Already, she was remembering her first Grimm encounter and how she had done very little to help fight off the threat. And since then, she'd been wasting the past few days playing with sticks and sparks instead of training.

Her mind churned furiously, thinking of all the things she had yet to perfect. She was still working on incorporating her Glyphs on the battlefield. Her footwork could use extra practice. She still had that annoying tendency of dropping the tip of her weapon after completing an attack. She wasn't ready for another Grimm encounter!

Trying desperately to distract herself from the choking insecurity flooding her veins, she demanded, "W-what do you mean you expected it?"

Yang rolled her eyes. "What do you think, Princess? None of us are in the most cheery of moods right now, and Grimm are attracted to negative emotion. I'm surprised we didn't get swarmed by Grimm days ago." She slipped on her cestuses as she spoke, which made Weiss touch Myrtenaster nervously. "Come on. Let's hope we can find someplace defensible to stop before they catch up to us."

* * *

In the end, they hadn't been able to.

Their walking only led them to the edge of a deep ravine that cut through the forest like an uneven scar. Scraggly trees lined a river flowing down below, and Weiss had found herself swallowing nervously at the height. She had to take a few steps away from the edge to be able to breathe properly again.

Now, Ruby's constant forays into the forest made sense. If Ruby had been scouting like usual, she most likely would have warned them or guided them along a different path, but since Yang had told her to stay nearby, they had ended up here, cut off from the front and no choice but to stand their ground. Against human enemies, having their back to the cliff would have been considered a good thing—it would have prevented enemies from sneaking up behind them—but as long as avian Grimm existed, having one's back to the open air was a risk, one that they couldn't do anything about at the moment.

"HAH—!"

Yang's battle cry carried even over the din of growls, snarls, and screams of the Grimm surrounding them as she launched a megaton punch into the side of an Ursa's head, sending the bear-like Grimm reeling. With the other hand, she lobbed one of the Dust-bombs she'd gotten from her uncle into the path of three more Ursai as she spun to slam another punch into a Beowolf's maw.

Meanwhile, Ruby had launched herself into a pack of snarling Beowolves, and it became astoundingly clear to Weiss that the hooded swordswoman had indeed been holding back during their last Grimm encounter. With every flash of her dual blades, a Beowolf or sundered limb burst into a plume of dancing rose petals. This wasn't merely swordsmanship; no, this was a _dance_. A heart-pounding, awe-inspiring, spellbinding dance that left only death and crimson petals in its wake.

And that sword dancer was only fifteen.

Weiss couldn't let herself fall behind. Jaw-clenched, the noble threw up a series of repulsion Glyphs as a flock of eagle-sized Nevermores flew past Yang and Ruby straight at her. Squawks of outrage filled the air as four of the corvid Grimm slammed into and ricocheted off her Glyphs. The fifth Nevermore flew unimpeded, just as Weiss planned. Weiss took a deep breath and just as the Grimm was about to reach her, she ducked with a spin, using its momentum and her Aura to bisect the creature in midair.

She choked on the corrosive, acrid stench of Grimm-ash filling the air, and her eyes teared up as they protested the sudden cloud of invasive particles attacking their membranes. It was only thanks to the victorious screech of one of her assailants that she remembered she was in the middle of battle, and she threw up several defensive Glyphs all around her in panic. Something crashed into the Glyph on her right and scrabbled at it futilely, cawing angrily.

 _Stupid! The first rule of any encounter is to put up a defensive Aura!_ Weiss berated herself as she called upon her Aura, feeling it settle around her like a second skin. A strange, dull throbbing started behind her eyes, but she ignored it with gritted teeth.

She dropped one of her defensive Glyphs and lunged forward, piercing a Nevermore through its open beak and out the back of its head. She freed her blade with a strong flick (since the fallen Nevermore had yet to dissipate) and turned to face her next foe. She was breathing hard and that infernal throbbing in her head seemed to be worsening, but she still managed to cut down another avian Grimm, causing the remaining two to fly up and out of her reach.

With a grimacing frown, she pulled her weapon up and used her off-hand to summon a series of platform Glyphs into the air. Channeling her Aura into her legs, she leapt from one Glyph to the next and sliced the wings off one of the remaining Nevermores. The other fled out of reach, and she was forced to give up on it. She supposed it didn't matter if one got away. She was beginning to feel the effects of using so much Aura anyway. Doing her best to keep her trembling limbs steady and trying to ignore the height, she created a new set of Glyphs to take her back down. She couldn't help but give a little sigh of relief upon returning to solid ground.

She felt a perverse sort of pride knowing that she'd managed to deal with all her opponents before either of the sisters. (She was pointedly ignoring the fact that one of them was brawling against monstrous bears twice or three times her size, and the other was facing a pack of Beowolves several times larger than the one they had encountered before all by herself.)

The question was, should she step forward to assist? If she were to assess herself honestly, she was already quite exhausted. Her ability to use her Glyphs in tandem with physical attacks was still a work in progress, so not only was she physically tiring, but her body was starting to feel heavy, as though there were weights dragging her down—one of the common warning signs of Aura exhaustion. Sweat poured down her temple and back, and her chest was close to heaving as she fought to catch her breath. Her sword arm trembled, and her legs were shaky at best. And why was her head throbbing so?

Then out of nowhere, a loud, snort-peppered squeal pierced her eardrums. Weiss looked up towards the sound to see a giant boar-like Grimm tramping out of the forest. A Boarbatusk. The beast was large enough that its head was level with her chest, and she could all to easily imagine being eviscerated by its massive, dangerous looking tusks. What was worse, she had no clue how to fight it, much less defeat it. Weiss swallowed uneasily, eyeing the creature's heavily armored head. At the very least, a frontal assault didn't seem prudent.

She didn't have any more time to consider her options for the beast locked onto her with its four beady red eyes, screamed a challenge, and charged. It leapt into the air, curled up, and became a rolling ball of death, its speed increasing exponentially like a boulder rolling down a mountain. It happened so fast that Weiss barely had time to react. She threw up a defensive Glyph, her body tensing as her Semblance began draining her Aura once again, and instinctively brought her arms up, gritting her teeth to prepare for the painful impact she knew was coming.

Except...it never came.

The scent of roses suddenly enveloped her senses. Small but strong arms wrapped around her middle, lifted her from the ground, and suddenly it felt like she was flying. Weiss opened her eyes to a crimson tinged world that looked as though it was moving in slow motion. She glanced down only to see that annoying brown hood. Ruby?

Several things ran through Weiss's mind as she tried to process what was happening, but first and foremost on her mind was an unexpected sense of wonder.

_Is this what Ruby's Semblance looks like? Feels like?_

Weiss's Semblance made her feel powerful, like she could do the impossible as long as she channeled enough Aura into her Glyphs. It was a heady feeling that she reveled in more than she cared to admit. This though...to be honest, it was like Weiss was being embraced by a field of roses. Soft. Warm. Comforting.

That was when she realized that was more or less indeed the case. Weiss's defensive Aura was still intact. She could still see the faint white glow of her Aura hovering just above her skin and clothes, but superimposed above it was a different Aura, a brilliant crimson Aura that was as vivid as the rose petals dancing around them. Somehow Ruby had extended her Aura and wrapped it around Weiss like a blanket. The brushing of their Auras gave Weiss an uncomfortable look into the younger girl's mind. _Worry. Concern. Determination._ And underneath it all, _protectiveness._

 _Protectiveness?_ Why would the girl be feeling protective of her? Especially since—Weiss swallowed uncomfortably, discomfited to have to face her own poor behavior—she had been...less than kind to the girl of late. Anyone else Weiss knew would have answered her... _unpleasantness_ with something equal or even more scathing, so why was this girl _protective_ of her, of all things? Even the girl's older sister, Yang, had lost her temper with Weiss. Ruby should be frustrated, angry, bitter, resentful even—not concerned or feeling protective. It made absolutely no sense.

As seconds stretched to minutes and Weiss became even more embroiled in her bewilderment regarding the entity known as Ruby Rose, an unfamiliar feeling snaked its way around Weiss's heart and clenched it tightly, almost painfully. It felt uncomfortably like...guilt or even shame. Whatever it was, she found that didn't like it one bit.

Then, their brief connection was broken as Ruby deposited Weiss away from the battlefield. Weiss was still trying to process everything that had just happened when Ruby spun, unsheathing both her blades again in the same motion.

The young swordswoman dashed back into the fray, cutting down two more Beowolves as she rushed to get the Boarbatusk's attention. She brought that whistle of hers back into play, tweeting annoyingly just out of reach of the Grimm boar's tusks, enraging the beast. Ruby danced all around it, keeping it turning this way and that, until finally it could take no more. With a furious squeal, it charged the hooded girl, who deftly darted to the side and sliced the beast along its unarmored underbelly. The Boarbatusk screamed in pain and stumbled off course, right through the place they had deposited their packs before the fight.

The larger two packs, Yang's and Ruby's, were knocked violently to the side, while the third got caught on one of the rampaging beast's tusks. The Grimm bucked and twisted, trying to free itself from whatever was weighing down its snout, and the leather knapsack exploded at the seams, sending its contents flying in all directions. Weiss watched in horror as one particular item, a wooden tube carrying important documents—the very reason she was even out here traversing the wilds of Remnant in the first place—tumbled through the air right towards the steep drop-off of the ravine.

_No…_

Weiss broke into a run. She even threw aside Myrtenaster, one of the only things she had left of her mother, in her desperation to move faster. Nothing was more important than those documents. _Nothing._ If she had been feeling fresher, she would have used an acceleration Glyph to move faster, but right now she had to save her dwindling Aura for something more important.

She threw out a hand and summoned a platform Glyph, making it as wide as she could manage to ensure she didn't miss catching the tube. The strain on her Aura was immense, and she stumbled more than once as her attention was split between trying to run and trying to maintain the massive Glyph from so far away.

 _Wait for it...now!_ She felt the tube collide with her platform, and she surrounded it with two more Glyphs to prevent it from rolling off. She breathed a sigh of relief when the tube rolled to a stop. She dropped the second two Glyphs to conserve Aura and kept running. When she reached the edge of the ravine, she took a deep breath and summoned a new set of platforms to take her to the tube, which had fallen a good fifteen feet from the cliff's edge.

Weiss suppressed her growing dislike of heights and walked out to where the tube was, breathing heavily from her run. She reached down and picked up the precious tube of documents, cradling it protectively in her arms. That was when it struck.

A screeching cry was her only warning as something crashed into her from above. Weiss only caught the faintest glimpse of razor-sharp black feathers and talons before her Aura shattered into a million fragments of white light. Every single one of her Glyphs disappeared along with her Aura. She desperately tried to summon another Glyph to catch herself. It caught her and lasted for approximately two seconds before vanishing, sending Weiss plummeting into the ravine.

This was it then. This was where she would die.

Deep in the darkest corner of her mind, she heard the softest of sighs. If this was it, then she didn't have to fight anymore. She didn't have to run herself ragged trying to prove herself to a world that didn't even care. She could finally rest.

She gripped the wooden tube in her arms as though it was one of those stuffed animal dolls she used to have as a child, closed her eyes, and waited for the end to take her, hoping beyond reason that it would be quick and painless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ruby's section of this chapter was deeply personal for me to write. When you're down and filled with despair, maybe even ashamed of your perceived failings, sometimes it's really hard to remember that you're not alone and that tomorrow will always come. That there are people out there who love and care about you. And even if you know those things in your head, sometimes it's hard to feel it in your heart. But I really hope you guys never forget. A new day will always come. Keep going. Keep fighting.


	11. Better (Part III)

Ruby leveled another slash at the Boarbatusk as it tried to gore her with its tusks as it rushed by, but she was always just out of reach. Little did the beast know that Ruby was reaching the end of her limits, that if it could manage to hold out just a little longer, it could turn the tables on her. She had to end it now while she still could.

Doing her best to ignore the increasingly painful pinpricks in her extremities, particularly in her legs, (a sure sign she was nearing the point of Aura-exhaustion), she summoned one last burst of Aura to stab the Boarbatusk as it charged by her one last time. She was forced to release her sword so that the beast's forward momentum didn't sprain or break her wrist. With one last scream, the Boarbatusk crashed to the ground and failed to rise again.

Ruby gave a long, drawn-out sigh and shut her eyes for a moment now that the battle had ended. She tried flexing her arms, legs, and hands a bit, but the painful needle-like sensation wasn't going away. She could guess why, too. Her lack of regular meals was starting to affect her. This morning she had woken up feeling weak and lethargic, and since the body was linked to the soul, her Aura had been affected as well. It was acting...sluggishly, for lack of a better term, and she could tell her reserves were lower than they usually were.

Uncle Qrow told her that could happen—that when a person wasn't feeling well physically, sometimes their Aura would use itself up in an attempt to bolster their body. Ruby hadn't eaten anything substantial for days now, so her Aura was expending itself to keep her body running normally. It wasn't a very efficient form of energy (judging by how unwell she was feeling at the moment), but it had bolstered her just enough to be able to fool Yang that morning. Or at least she hoped so.

Unfortunately, then the Grimm showed up, and there was no way she was going to make Yang do all the work, especially since there were so many of them. She didn't dare waste time, not when her Aura wasn't at its peak, so she focused on taking out her enemies as quickly as possible. She knew she shouldn't be using her Semblance this much when she wasn't feeling well, but she didn't have much of a choice. She had to keep the Beowolves from rushing Weiss. A part of her had panicked when she saw the Nevermores fly overhead, but after seeing Weiss dispatch the first one, Ruby breathed easier and went back to focusing on culling the Beowolf pack.

It was the Boarbatusk that ruined things in the end.

Ruby naturally had a lot of Aura, but she also had a physical Semblance, a Semblance that physically affected her body's ability to perform certain tasks. The way Uncle Qrow had described it, people with physical Semblances tended to have bigger Auras...or was it that people with bigger Auras tended to awaken physical Semblances? She didn't quite remember, but the outcome was the same. Physical Semblances tended to eat up Aura twice or even three times as quickly as someone with a non-physical Semblance.

Ruby's Semblance, for instance, would be impossible to use more than a few times per day if she didn't have a large reservoir of Aura to rely on. Not only did she need Aura to activate and maintain her speed Semblance, but she also had to use extra Aura to protect herself from the pressure and strain her Semblance would put on her body otherwise. A person's body simply wasn't made to move at the speeds Ruby's Semblance could bring her to, and attempting to do so without extra Aura protection was to risk permanent injury or worse.

Yang's Semblance was the same. If Yang didn't use extra Aura to protect her body whenever she activated the part of her Semblance that let her dish back whatever was thrown at her, she faced shattered bones, torn muscles, and both internal and external bleeding.

When the Boarbatusk started its rolling attack on Weiss, Ruby had no choice but to dig into what little Aura she had left to get the noble out of harm's way, and it _hurt_. The pinpricks turned into burning-hot needles stabbing into her arms and legs and slowly creeping towards her heart. She was starting to draw on the last of her Aura reserves, and her body didn't like it and was _not_ shy about telling her so. It didn't help that dragging someone along with her Semblance meant Ruby had to use at least twice as much Aura to create a second shield around whoever she was bringing along—and possibly even more if they were big like Yang.

Now that the Boarbatusk had finally been defeated, there was nothing left to distract her from her body's warning signs, and all she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and wait for the pain to subside. It was pure chance that she was aware enough of her surroundings to hear the Nevermore's attack cry from up above.

_Where did that one come from? Didn't Weiss kill all the Nevermores?_

But no, there it was, closing in on the white-haired noble who was just about to cross over the ravine on her Glyphs.

Ruby wanted to scream a warning to Weiss, but the moment the thought crossed her mind, a wave of irrational fear swamped her and her throat clenched shut. She couldn't speak. She screamed inwardly at her throat and mouth to work—to do _something_ —but all they did was freeze and choke up.

But she wasn't going to give up.

Before she even consciously made the decision, her Semblance activated and her world turned red. Her exhaustion and pain became secondary priorities. She had to save Weiss. With the amount of Aura the noble had left, she wouldn't survive the fall if the Nevermore managed to knock her off her Glyph. That faint white glow surrounding Weiss was flickering dangerously, a sure sign her Aura might fail at any moment.

 _Faster_ , Ruby thought, _I have to move faster._

Too late.

Ruby watched in horror as the Nevermore struck Weiss from behind and that white Aura shattered. She caught her breath when Weiss managed to summon another Glyph to catch herself, but her heart plummeted with the noble when it vanished.

_No!_

Ruby leapt off the edge of the ravine, heedless of anything other than reaching the falling noble. _Got her!_ The hooded girl wrapped an arm around Weiss and tried desperately to call upon her Semblance to slow their fall with a whirlwind, barely noticing the noble's panicked scrabbling at her arm to hold on. It was too much. She couldn't do it, not with the amount of Aura she had left. She abandoned the attempt almost as soon as she tried it, opting to conserve her Aura for when she had a better plan.

A screeching cry caught her attention. The Nevermore was coming back for another strike, probably drawn by the fear and panic of the two plummeting swordswomen. Ruby blinked as an idea began to form in the back of her mind, and her eyes narrowed in determination.

The Nevermore dove at them, its sharp, powerful talons outstretched, clearly intent on ravaging the two of them midair. Ruby waited until the very last second and then used her Semblance to create a whirlwind, one just powerful enough distract the Nevermore and alter its trajectory ever so slightly. Her free hand shot out as the avian Grimm barely missed them. Her breath hitched in pain as one of the creature's talons caught and tore the delicate skin of her inner forearm, but her fingers successfully closed around the Grimm's leg.

As powerful as Nevermores were, this one was only maybe twice the size of an eagle, meaning it would have struggled to carry even one human or Faunus-sized burden, much less two. The three of them immediately started losing altitude, but at least they were falling slower than before. The Nevermore screeched its outrage as listed this way and that, trying to shake off its burden to no avail. Ruby just gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, shoving all other thoughts from her mind. She ignored the chilling wind, the knowledge that they were still high enough to die if she couldn't manage to hold on, the Nevermore's harsh cries, and focused solely on two things: Weiss's warmth against her own body and her tight grip on the Nevermore's leg. All other things were unimportant.

She had to hold on, because there was a life depending on her.

By now, Weiss had realized what Ruby was trying to do and had done her best to turn and wrap her own arms around Ruby. It gave Ruby one less thing to worry about. She didn't let go of Weiss, of course, but now that Weiss holding on to her instead of the other way around, she could turn most of her attention onto keeping hold of the Nevermore. Briefly, Ruby wondered what Weiss had done with the tube she had been so desperate to save, but she didn't dwell on it for very long. Not when her shoulder and arm were screaming in pain at the strain of having to carry two people. Right now, she was relying on pure physical strength to keep them from falling. She didn't dare use any more Aura unless she absolutely had to.

It was a hellish ride that felt like it lasted hours even though it probably only lasted a few minutes at most. Finally, Ruby flinched as a lucky peck caught her unprotected forearm, causing her grip to weaken. The Nevermore must have sensed Ruby's fear at the thought of her grip failing for it screamed as though in victory and suddenly banked right. The abrupt change in direction was too much for Ruby's weakening fingers, and the Nevermore's leg slipped from her grasp.

A shriek escaped Weiss as the two of them began yet another freefall, but one quick glance downward told Ruby that they weren't quite so high up anymore. Better yet, they were over the river. They could still pull through.

Ruby took a deep breath, summoned as much of her dwindling Aura as she dared, and focused it below them. She knew her limits so she knew exactly how much Aura she could use before she risked reaching the burn-out stage of Aura depletion. Sure, if they survived this, Ruby wouldn't be able to move for days until her Aura replenished itself, but at least they'd be alive. Once the defensive Aura was in place, Ruby shut her eyes, pulled Weiss more firmly against her, and braced herself for impact.

They hit the water with a painful crash, and Ruby jerked when her Aura shattered, feeling the loss of Aura like a stab through the heart. Still, it had done its job and both of them were physically unhurt from the fall. Surviving the river was a different story, however.

Ruby lost her hold on Weiss as soon as they hit the water, and the deceptively powerful current yanked them apart. Ruby kicked blindly to the surface and gasped as soon as her face broke into the air. Her teeth chattered violently as the frigid water soaked through her clothing. She was beyond exhausted, but somehow she found enough strength to continue treading water, even with her clothes, boots, and remaining gear dragging her down.

 _Weiss_ , Ruby thought sluggishly. _Gotta find Weiss._

Neither of them had much body fat so they weren't going to last long if they stayed in the water, not in the middle of autumn. They had to get to shore.

A series of unnatural splashes caught Ruby's attention. It was only then that Ruby realized Weiss didn't know how to swim. At some point, the noble had reached the water's surface, but she was panicking and flailing her arms.

Ruby slipped her whistle between her lips with numb fingers and blew, hoping to at least let Weiss know that she wasn't alone and that help was coming. With heavy arms and legs, she forced herself into motion. Thankfully, she was upstream from where Weiss was so she didn't have to swim directly against the current.

Weiss grabbed onto her as soon as she was in range, accidentally dragging Ruby back under the water's surface. Ruby broke away from her and came up a few feet away, coughing and spluttering. As soon as she caught her breath, Ruby went to try again. This time, she came up behind Weiss, grabbed her under the arms, and started pulling her backwards. It was awkward, but at least this way Weiss couldn't grab her and drag her under again. Weiss flailed for a few more seconds, but once she realized she was no longer sinking and that Ruby was dragging her away from the middle of the river, she seemed to calm down. She was by no means _calm_ , judging by her quick, frantic breaths, but at least she was no longer fighting Ruby.

Ruby, on the other hand, was fading fast. It was so cold, and she was so very tired. Still, she pressed on, kicking the water and pulling Weiss along until her back scraped across the sandy shoreline. _Thank goodness._ She gave Weiss one final heave, and finally they were both half out of the water and on dry land.

Her eyes fluttered shut with relief. She'd done it. They were alive. Weiss was safe.

Ruby shivered. She was so cold that every inch of her body was hurting. Or was that the pain from Aura-depletion? She couldn't tell anymore. Everything just hurt so much, like someone had stuck a hot poker into her veins and then smashed every part of her body with an icy hammer. But she couldn't just lie here. She had to...had to do something...a fire! That's right, she had to build a fire and get them warmed up! But for some reason, her eyelids weren't listening to her. They felt so heavy, like someone had glued them shut. The rest of her body didn't want to move either, not when even the slightest movement caused intense waves of pain to radiate outward through any nearby muscles. Even breathing was difficult right now. She had to do things—important things—but maybe she could keep her eyes shut for just a little longer…just long enough for the worst of the pain to fade and for her to catch her breath...

* * *

Weiss dragged herself forward until her entire body was out of the water before collapsing, taking comfort in the solid ground beneath her. It was official. She hated heights, and she hated swimming. Never again. She grimaced at the way her water-saturated clothes remained plastered to her body with every movement and the feel of her soaked socks squishing in her equally sodden shoes. She braced herself as a bout of shivers ran through her body before she managed to push herself to her knees. As she shifted, the wooden tube that she had slipped into her shirt so that she could free up her hands to grab onto Ruby while they had been falling from the sky fell against her stomach.

 _The documents._ Panicked, she reached into her shirt with stiff fingers to pull the tube out from where it rested between her skin and soaked shirt. She examined it carefully and then sighed with relief. The wax seal remained unbroken and since the inside of the tube was lacquered, she didn't have to worry about water or moisture leaking in through the wood. The documents were safe. She placed the tube on the ground between several larger rocks to ensure it didn't roll away and to let it dry.

That was when Weiss realized her companion and savior had not moved an inch since pulling them to shore. The girl still lay half submerged in the water. "Ruby?" she said tentatively. There was no response. A slow feeling of dread came over her.

"Ruby?" she tried again, her heart pounding. _No, she couldn't be…_

Weiss stumbled to her feet, her body still half-numb from the cold, grabbed the girl under her arms and pulled her out of the water. Ruby didn't react despite her body getting manhandled rather roughly. And her arm was still bleeding! Weiss's heart thumped again. _No, no, no, no, no!_

She drew in a shaky breath. First things, first, she had to stop the bleeding. She hoped that the girl's sleeve would be enough to serve as a bandage for now. She pulled Ruby's sleeve tight and folded the loose cloth directly over the wound to add an extra layer of dressings. She undid her own belt and wrapped it around the girl's arm to complete the makeshift pressure bandage.

"Ruby!" Weiss cried out again, and she slapped the girl's cheeks in an attempt to wake her. Her skin was so cold, colder than even Weiss's, but now that Weiss was paying attention, she could tell the girl was still shivering. That was a good sign, right? As long as the body was still shivering, it was still fighting to survive.

Weiss bit her lip, finding it harder and harder to think due to the fear and panic racing through her.

Warmth. She needed to get Ruby warm. She bolted to her feet and ran over to the nearest copse of scraggly trees. Blindly, she grabbed at everything that looked like it might burn, branches, twigs, dried grass and leaves. It was only after she threw it into a pile next to Ruby that she realized she had no tools for which she could make a fire.

Despair washed over her. This couldn't be happening! This girl had thrown herself into danger, saving Weiss's life more than once, and Weiss had done nothing but throw the girl's kindness back into her face, all because Weiss's ego couldn't stand a little hurt pride—pride that was utterly worthless right now. Weiss's throat tightened as a sick feeling rose up from within her, and her hands clenched into white-knuckled fists.

She had wanted so badly to break away from her father. She had tried so hard to be different from him—to be _better_ —but all this time she had been acting just like him, putting her desires and wants first and ignoring all else—even taking her frustration out on innocent people who had nothing to do with anything at all, just like her father had always done to her. How many times had she been trapped in his study, forced to endure a scathing tongue-lashing simply because she was a convenient way for him to relieve stress? And now she had been doing the exact same thing to Ruby? She _disgusted_ herself. Hadn't she long decided never to be like him? That she would endeavor to be an example of how a true Schnee should comport themselves?

Somehow she had to make this right. She didn't know how yet, but a part of her was certain Ruby had to be a part of it. She _had_ to. That meant she had to survive.

"Wake up, Ruby. You have to _wake up_." She shook the girl as hard as she dared, but all she accomplished was causing the girl's ever-present hood to fall back, and her breath caught in spite of herself.

Weiss temporarily forgot all of her lessons on propriety and just stared at the previously hidden face that had haunted her for so long. She had spent so many idle moments wondering what Ruby looked like beneath that infernal hood, and now that she finally had her answer, she couldn't help but let her eyes soak in the view. Delicate features. Pale skin that was probably paler than it should be from the cold. Weiss imagined that the girl's face would be somewhat rosier if not for present conditions. Black hair that somehow shaded to red at the tips. _Dye perhaps?_ If so, she'd never seen such a professional dye job. All in all, the girl looked nothing like her older sister. While not entirely surprising considering how different the sisters' body builds were, a part of Weiss still expected to see _some_ sort of family resemblance. Not for the first time did Weiss wonder if perhaps one of the sisters was adopted. It would certainly explain why they didn't share the same last name—yet another mystery she had mulled over in her spare time.

Her certainty in her theory only grew when she noticed the darkly furred, triangular ears atop the girl's head. _She's a Faunus_ , Weiss thought, shocked. _How did I not notice before?_ The noble had to fight the urge to touch the soft-looking ears, reminding herself that this was neither the time nor place to indulge her curiosity, not when the girl's life currently lay in the balance.

Still, a number of half-formed thoughts and loosely connected pieces started falling into place. Why Yang had been so angry about how the Faunus were being treated in Atlas when they had first met. The way Ruby always seemed to know when other people were approaching before either of her human companions. The way she never seemed to get lost or trip in the dark. The way she always seemed more relaxed after her older sister ruffled her hair as if petting her, and most of all, how Weiss always seemed to picture a cringing puppy whenever she'd been particularly acerbic to the girl.

Abruptly, another thought crossed her mind. This girl had to know the part Weiss's family had played in the systematic segregation and enslavement of the Faunus throughout Atlas—Yang had told her as much the evening they had met—so why would either of them go out of their way to help her? Why had _Ruby_ gone out of her way to save a _Schnee_ time and time again despite being a Faunus herself? It made no sense.

However, before Weiss could fully process all this new information, she heard a voice bellowing in the distance and her head shot up.

"—UBY! WEISS!"

Weiss rose to her feet, forgetting all else but the sudden surge of hope in her breast. "Yang!"

Yang would make everything better and more importantly, she'd never let anything happen to Ruby. Therefore Ruby would be fine now that Yang was here. As much as Weiss was loathed to admit it, the woman was always reliable when it mattered. Always.

"Weiss?!"

The voice was coming from up above? Weiss looked up and her eyes widened in shock as a vaguely human figure leapt down into the ravine. Yang was channeling so much Aura that she burned yellow like the sun, like a fireball raining from the sky.

The ground shook when she landed, and for a moment she seemed to burn even brighter before she hurled a punch towards the river. A massive ball of pure energy exploded from her fist, and the displaced water shot up like a geyser before raining down again, soaking everything in the immediate area. Yang shook off the water, took one look towards Weiss and Ruby, and sprinted over.

"RUBY!" Yang dropped the huge bundle she had been carrying over her shoulder and slid to her knees next to her little sister.

Guilt flooded Weiss as Yang's worry hit her like a tangible wave.

"I'm sorry." The words left her lips she even realized it and when those red-tinged, lilac eyes met her own, her mouth just kept going.

"She saved us. She barely had any Aura left, but she pushed herself to save us. She didn't even have enough to protect herself from the Nevermore, or at least I didn't think she did, but then she managed to put up one last defensive Aura when we hit the water, but she shouldn't have had to. I should have done it because I had more Aura left but I didn't—and then she had to pull us from the water because I couldn't swim—"

"Weiss," Yang tried to interject, but the noble barely heard her.

"And I wanted to build a fire to get her warm, but I couldn't because I didn't have any flint or steel, but she's just so cold—"

"Weiss!"

Weiss shut her mouth, choking off whatever else might have poured out, her breathing quick and shallow. And for some reason her head was vacillating between hurting and feeling floaty. It wasn't a pleasant feeling.

Nonetheless, Weiss was still present enough to be able to feel the blissfully warm heat radiating off of Yang even from where she was. Yang had slipped her bare hand under Ruby's neck, cradling the girl's head gently, most likely trying to channel more heat into the girl. Ruby shivered again as the heat began soaking into her, and Weiss thought for a moment that the girl's breathing had strengthened somewhat.

"Weiss," Yang said again, drawing the noble's attention away from Ruby and back to her, the larger woman's voice gentler than Weiss ever remembered hearing before. "Breathe. Come on. Deep breaths, one to five. Breathe in—one, two, three…"

Weiss tried to do as she was told. It was hard at first, but soon grew easier. The pounding in her head eased, and she felt a little more grounded than before. She was still tense, but at least the worst of that panicky feeling had lessened. Yang continued to prompt her for a few minutes, only letting her voice taper off when it was clear Weiss was able to focus on breathing on her own.

"There you go. Feeling better?"

Weiss nodded stiffly, part of her still focusing on breathing, on trying to stay calm.

"Good. Now stay with me. Are you with me?"

Another, somewhat shakier nod.

"Good, good. I need your help, alright? I need you to go through our things over there" —she pointed to the giant bundle she had brought with her that Weiss now recognized was their tent turned into a makeshift sack, presumably to allow her to carry all their things at once— "and pull out Ruby's first-aid kit, two towels, our blankets, and a set of clothes for you and Ruby. Can you do that?"

Instead of answering, Weiss pushed herself to her feet and set to work, trying to find everything Yang had asked for without letting her own soaked clothes and hair drip all over their things. Having a task helped, and slowly she was getting to the point where she could think again.

By the time she had gathered everything and turned back around, Yang had already set her little pile of dried branches, grass and leaves aflame. Yang got to work removing the girl's cloak and belt, and Weiss noted the girl had a darkly furred tail to match her Faunus ears. Again, she wondered how she had never noticed either of them before.

Weiss's cheeks turned pink when she realized Yang was methodically relieving Ruby of all her wet things, not just her accessories. However, any embarrassment she felt was short-lived and replaced almost instantly by horror. Almost every inch of Ruby's naked body was covered with scars.

The pale but still clearly visible, slightly raised trails of mended flesh littered Ruby's skin like some sort of abstract macabre design. The only places that seemed free of the marks were her face, neck, hands and feet. A second look caused Weiss to recoil even more. Every single one of those scars had clean edges, much like the scar Weiss saw every time she looked into a mirror. Grimm didn't leave such even wounds. These were blade wounds—wounds made by people. It was unthinkable that someone as young as Ruby could have accrued that many bladed injuries and even if she had, her Aura should have healed the majority of them. The only time an Aura-user would scar like that would be if they had too many wounds for their Aura to heal all at once or if they had run out of Aura when they got injured and had to heal naturally.

Yang's words from what seemed like a lifetime ago came back to her unbidden. " _It was a life or death situation. We either had to let her die or unlock her Aura in hopes that it would speed her healing and save her life. I thank whatever gods exist everyday that she has so much Aura and that it had been enough to bring her back."_

Weiss swallowed heavily, fighting the urge to throw up. The scars were too clean and too regular to possibly be from battle. They weren't the remnants from some unlucky encounter with Grimm or bandits. Someone at some point had _tortured_ the poor girl.

"Hey, Weiss."

Weiss's eyes shot up to see Yang staring back at her, her eyes a mix of understanding sympathy and hard anger—anger that Weiss was certain wasn't aimed at her but at the perpetrators who had hurt Ruby so. The golden-maned woman held out a hand towards the towel Weiss clenched in her white-knuckled grip. Dumbly, Weiss handed it over, her eyes staring blindly at nothing as Yang wiped down her little sister's body, her hands gentle as they ran the towel over all those horrific scars.

 _How could anyone do that to another person?_ The thought lodged itself in Weiss's mind and wouldn't let go.

She passed Yang the first-aid kit and watched as Yang smeared some sort of thick paste over Ruby's wound and then wrapped it with a fresh set of bandages. The wound must not have been as deep as Weiss had feared, for it had mostly stopped bleeding by the time Yang treated it. That was probably why she prioritized drying Ruby off over dealing with the injury. Ruby's body temperature was worryingly low, and it was probably more dangerous for her to stay wet and chilled at the moment than it was for her to lose a little blood.

When Yang prompted Weiss again, the noble silently handed over Ruby's clothes and then a blanket. It was only after Ruby was bundled up and being cradled in Yang's lap, the girl's back pressed tightly to Yang's front to transfer as much heat into the girl as possible, that Yang let out a soft sigh and turned her full attention on Weiss.

Still speaking in that uncharacteristically soft voice of hers, Yang said, "Thank you." She eyed the noble, who was still dripping wet. "You alright?"

Weiss blinked, only now remembering her own bedraggled state, but for some reason, it didn't feel right for her to be complaining about anything. "I'm fine," she said, her voice clipped.

"No, you aren't. You're soaked through, just like Ruby."

Weiss looked away. "But I had enough Aura left to protect myself from the cold."

"But that doesn't mean you're not feeling cold, wet, and miserable. Go on, get dried off, changed, and come sit by the fire for a while."

It was tempting, but Weiss found it inexplicably hard to turn away—to take her eyes off Ruby. If she did...well, she didn't know what would happen, exactly, but she felt uneasy nonetheless. It was as though a part of her was scared that something bad would happen to Ruby if she looked away, which made no logical sense. Ruby was currently in the safest place possible, wrapped up in the arms of an overprotective older sister who would stop at nothing to protect her. There was no reason for Weiss to be worrying about anything and yet, she was.

Yang must have read some of the thoughts on her face for she said, "Hey, Ruby's gonna be just fine," making sure to catch Weiss's eyes as she spoke.

For someone who liked to play the part of a bumbling oaf, the woman could be annoyingly perceptive at times. At last, Weiss nodded and went to do as she was told. Ruby would be fine. She had to be.

* * *

Yang waited until Weiss left to dry off and get dressed before letting out the breath she had been holding. She had been on edge since the moment she saw Ruby lying on the ground, seemingly unmoving, but seeing Weiss so uncharacteristically frantic and panicked forced Yang to shove her own distress away so that she could be a pillar of calm and comfort for the younger woman.

Now that Weiss had moved away, however, Yang didn't need to try so hard to be strong and in control.

Yang tightened her grip on Ruby and buried her face in the girl's drying tresses, breathing in the familiar scent of earth and roses. "Dammit, Ruby," she whispered, her voice breaking, "You can't keep doing this to me. You _can't_." She had already lost count how many times Ruby had jumped into danger and come out the other end battered or hurt.

Her heart nearly stopped when she saw Ruby leap into the ravine after Weiss. Ruby had been doing her best to hide it, but Yang knew her baby sister wasn't at her best. She had known it the moment the battle started. Ruby had always taken her lessons with Uncle Qrow seriously and one of the things he had stressed time and time again was the importance of not wasting Aura. If Ruby was going all out against Beowolves—one of the weakest types of Grimm—of all things, something had to be wrong. That was why Yang risked using one of her precious fire Dust-bombs when normally she would have saved it to use against tougher opponents. She had to finish the battle quickly so that she could figure out what was going on with Ruby.

Yang's mind had flooded with all the possibilities of what could be wrong this time. Was Ruby on the verge of having one of her fevers? Was she just tired from one of those cursed nightmares of hers—the ones that made Yang feel so powerless and made her want to go on a rampage to destroy whatever had triggered it? Was Ruby's lack of proper meals finally catching up to her? Yang didn't know, and she _hated_ the fact that she didn't know.

Yang had been doing her best not to be overbearing when it came to how much she worried about Ruby, but even just the thought of her precious baby sister suffering drove her crazy. She wanted so much just to be able to crush Ruby's demons, to wrap her up and keep her safe from everything that threatened her, but Yang was always one or two steps behind. She was always a little too late.

A few treacherous tears leaked from Yang's eyes as she cuddled Ruby's slowly warming body, counting each soft puff of air coming from the girl as a small victory. At least she hadn't had to lie to Weiss. Ruby really would be fine. This time. If Yang had been even a few minutes later though, things might have been different. She and Ruby had treated enough foolish winter travelers over the years to know when the freezing sickness or frostbite might mean death or losing a limb. Ruby had still been in the safe zone, thank goodness, and the paste Yang had used on Ruby's arm would stimulate Aura production in the area, helping it heal faster even if Ruby's Aura reserves were low. The stuff was rare and expensive, but worth it.

A small hand reached up to weakly stroke the side of Yang's head, and Yang froze. "Ruby," she choked out as she gently grasped the still worryingly cold hand and pressed it against her cheek. "Don't you dare scare me like that again."

Ruby's wolf ears drooped, and she raised her other hand to sign, _I'm sorry_.

Yang frowned, hating the fact that even if Ruby felt bad for making her worry, she knew the girl would do it all over again if it meant saving a life. Sure, a part of her was proud she had raised such a brave and compassionate young woman, but the rest of her was scared to death that one of these times Ruby was going to run out of luck. The thought made her tighten her grip as though she might be able to prevent the worst from happening as long as she just held on.

Slowly and painfully, Ruby turned her head and pressed her cheek against Yang's shoulder. Yang's heart swelled with feeling, though she didn't know whether she wanted to smile or cry. Trust Ruby to try to comfort her when _she_ was the one who was injured and teetering on the edge of Aura-depletion. Ruby's brand of Aura-exhaustion was particularly grueling. As far as Yang and Uncle Qrow could tell, Ruby experienced extreme muscle fatigue all over her body whenever she used too much Aura. Even just lifting her hand to stroke Yang's head or turning her own head to nuzzle Yang must have been excruciatingly painful for Ruby right now.

Yang let out another heavy breath and pressed her lips gently against Ruby's temple. "I'm glad you're alright," she whispered. She lowered the hand she held, wrapped both of her arms around Ruby's small body again, and rested her chin on Ruby's head. Eventually she heard the girl's breathing change, telling Yang she had fallen asleep. Good. She needed it. At some point Yang would have to wake her to make her drink some warm, sweetened tea, but for a moment, she just wanted to hold her close and not let go.

* * *

"Weiss, do you have a minute? We need to talk."

Weiss stiffened and swallowed nervously before rising to her feet so that she could respond to Yang face to face. "Of course." She did her best not to let her trepidation show.

In truth, she had been waiting for this moment since she had calmed down enough to think again. She had been given an unexpected reprieve in the form of Yang's reluctance to leave her little sister's side, but it had been hours since the three of them had reunited and even Weiss was feeling nearly back to normal. Her Aura was on the low side, but she was no longer chilled. Ruby, on the other hand, was still drowsing on and off, but from what Weiss gathered, that was more because of Aura-exhaustion than the effects of their icy dip. Yang still wouldn't let the girl shed her cocoon of blankets, however, and kept going back to check Ruby's temperature in between making supper and setting up camp.

Yang gestured with her head and walked off, clearly expecting Weiss to follow. Weiss took a deep breath to gather her nerves before joining the other woman. Yang led her upstream to a particularly rocky section of the riverbank. There was a pile of wood between two of the largest rocks. Yang motioned for Weiss to sit and in a few seconds, the pile of wood had turned into a steady campfire by courtesy of Yang's unusual Semblance. Weiss was still trying to figure out what exactly the other woman's Semblance was. At first she thought it was just the ability to produce heat, but after seeing the woman launch her Aura into the river and the subsequent geyser of water it produced, now she wasn't so sure.

Regardless, after all that had happened, Weiss couldn't help but look upon Yang with new eyes. Even though the woman was probably furious with her for putting her little sister in danger (and Weiss would be the first to say she had the right to be), Yang had responded calmly, even kindly, in the face of Weiss's panic. Who did that? Even now, she had gone out of her way to prepare a campfire for when she called Weiss over for whatever discussion they were about to have. Weiss was well aware that Yang didn't get cold easily so the fire had to be for Weiss's sake and not her own. It told her that Yang was thinking about Weiss's health and comfort.

To be honest, the tall woman had been doing similar things for the past few hours, quietly looking after Weiss's well-being along with Ruby's. Yes, Yang had been reluctant to leave Ruby's side, but when she did she always checked in with Weiss, sometimes pouring her some more tea or simply asking her if she was warm enough. That gentle concern was almost more than Weiss could bear. It made her burn with shame. She didn't deserve it.

It was so...disconcerting.

Why? Why did either of them care? Why hadn't they already turned on Weiss for her less than stellar behavior? If their roles had been reversed, she was certain she would have already lost patience with them and left them on the trail.

Unbidden, Weiss's mind flashed back to when her and Ruby's Auras had brushed against each other. Ruby's emotions at that moment had been so clear. Why had Ruby been so concerned and protective of her when she had been so unkind? Why had the girl _risked her life_ for someone like Weiss?

And why wasn't Yang saying anything right now? The silence between the two of them grew to the point where Weiss felt as though she would be crushed if it continued any longer.

"I'm sorry," Weiss said, abruptly for the second time that day.

Yang glanced at her, her brows raised. There was a moment of silence before she asked, "Umm...for what, exactly?"

Weiss's brow furrowed. "For putting Ruby in danger?" The clear confusion on Yang's face made her turn her answer into a question.

To her surprise, an almost bitter smile fluttered briefly across the other woman's face before she shook her head. "That's not why I called you out here." Yang gave a heavy sigh before straightening and meeting Weiss's eyes. "This isn't the first time Ruby's done something crazy like this."

"Your sister has jumped off a cliff, caught a ride on a Nevermore, and then plummeted into a freezing cold river before?" Weiss couldn't quite hide the disbelief in her tone.

"Well, no, but there was this one time where she baited a Beringel—that's a rare ape-like Grimm. Scared me half to death when it threw her off the side of a mountain. 'Course, that's how we learned her Semblance lets her move fast enough to create whirlwinds. It managed to slow her fall just enough to keep her from getting badly hurt."

Weiss's mouth opened then closed several times before she just shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. She wondered when she would stop being surprised by all the dangerous things the sisters seemed tangled up in. Of course, some of those dangerous things were Weiss's fault, but still. Every time Weiss thought she had a handle on the two sisters, she learned something new that forced her to rearrange her understanding of them yet again. Then she wondered if not being surprised by them anymore was a good thing. If she wasn't being surprised anymore, then that meant their craziness was starting to make sense to her. The mere thought of it caused a shiver to run up her spine.

"No," Yang continued, unaware of Weiss's thoughts, "Ruby did what she always does. She protects those who can't protect themselves, not because she has to or for money, but because it's the right thing to do. You could have been anybody and she still would have dived off that cliff to save you, so there's no reason for you to apologize."

"But if I hadn't—"

"Nope. Nuh-uh. We're not arguing about this. You didn't make Ruby jump off that cliff. You didn't order her to save your life at the risk of her own. It was her choice and therefore her responsibility. Not yours."

"How can you say that? I almost got her killed!"

Saying the words made them feel so much more real to Weiss, and it suddenly felt hard to breathe again. She had almost _caused the death_ of another person. Yes, the documents she carried were important, and before being faced with Ruby's possible death, she most likely would have argued that their protection was paramount; however, seeing Ruby so cold and still after pulling them out of the river had struck a nerve in her that she didn't even know she still possessed. She had thought her father had destroyed her ability to care for anyone other than Winter and Klein—to connect with and hold any sort of fondness for other people—but when she was faced with Ruby's possible death, a fear so deep and encompassing had swept over her.

She hadn't felt anything so strongly in years, and as much as it terrified her, it also gave her hope. It was proof that she was not her father and as hard as he tried to mold her into a creature as cold and self-serving as himself, he had failed. "Weiss Schnee" might have been forced to cut off bits and pieces of herself to survive his dictatorship, but there was still a "Weiss" somewhere living inside her. She didn't know who that person was, but she was certain that she had the two sisters—and especially Ruby—to thank for finding a way to bring that person out.

That was why, as relieved as Weiss was for Yang not casting any blame on her, she couldn't accept it. Wouldn't accept it. She had wronged someone, and her guilt and sense of honor demanded some form of castigation or punishment—some tangible way to make her remorse known and understood. She didn't know how else to express all the new and confusing feelings swirling inside her.

Weiss opened her mouth to argue further, not realizing the temperature of the surrounding air had risen a few degrees since the start of their conversation. "Yang, I—"

"Weiss!" Yang's eyes suddenly flashed red. A wave of heat blasted into Weiss, and her mouth shut instantly. "Please. I'm trying really, _really_ hard not to be angry at you. I _know_ it's not your fault, but I can't help what I feel. Yeah, if you weren't around, Ruby wouldn't have been pulled into this mess, but this wasn't the first time something like this has happened and knowing Ruby, it won't be the last. That's who she is. If it wasn't you, it would have been someone else so just drop it, alright?"

Weiss stiffened upon meeting Yang's glaring red eyes. For perhaps the first time ever, she felt like she was seeing the real Yang, not that Yang was a dishonest person—far from it—but the woman had a penchant for deflecting with humor or poor jokes whenever things got too personal or serious. When humor failed, Yang would always attempt to rile Weiss up in order to distract her, change the subject, or both. And she was so good at it that it had taken Weiss ages to notice she was doing it. It was only thanks to Weiss's experience with the political and social games nobles played that she noticed what Yang was doing at all.

The Yang that so carefully guarded her heart was nowhere to be found here. In Yang's eyes, Weiss read grief. Pain. Worry. Fear. Helplessness. Frustration. Weiss also thought she saw hints of bitterness though she had no clue as to why Yang might be feeling bitter. She saw for the first time how torn up, how badly Yang had been affected by all of this. Yang was practically begging Weiss to understand—something that the woman had never done before.

In the end, Weiss's desperate need to apologize shriveled and died in the face of Yang's anguish. The guilt she felt for the part she had played in Ruby's current condition was still there, but she forced herself to put it aside. Her feelings weren't important right now.

Most likely seeing Weiss's acquiescence to her request, Yang closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, her eyes had changed back to their normal lilac shade. "Thank you," she said softly.

Weiss could only nod in return.

There was another brief silence before Yang spoke again, her words abrupt. "I wanted to talk to you about something else. Ruby hasn't been eating."

Weiss's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean what I said. She hasn't been eating. At all. And I'm pretty sure it's mostly because of you."

"I don't understand."

Yang straightened, her expression dead serious. "I told you back when we first met that Ruby isn't really good with people." She waited for Weiss to nod in acknowledgment. "I didn't mean that socially, though she's not really good with people on that front either. I meant that they can stress her out to the point where her health suffers. You've been treating her like dirt for a while now, and she hasn't eaten a proper meal in days."

Weiss's mouth went dry. "I-I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't. You were too caught up in your own world to notice anything else." Yang didn't hold back, and Weiss couldn't help but flinch at the accusation. The worst part was that there was nothing Weiss could say. Yang was correct in her assessment.

Seeing Weiss flinch, Yang's eyes softened ever so slightly. "Talk to me, Weiss. When we first started traveling together, you weren't this bad, and then you suddenly changed for the worse. What happened?"

Weiss drew in a sharp breath as a wave of shame and embarrassment washed over her. How could she put into words how petty her reasons were? That she had been feeling inferior to a fifteen-year-old girl and that's why Weiss had been taking her frustration out on Ruby. She'd look like an utter fool.

When Weiss didn't answer right away, Yang crossed her arms and drummed her fingers. When Weiss still didn't speak, Yang's expression hardened. "I'm not giving you a choice about this," she said, her voice dangerously soft. "Either you talk to me right now, or after Ruby gets better, we're leaving you in the first town we find. I gave you a chance—more than one, to be honest—and you're not getting any more. Not if Ruby's health is being affected. That girl is everything to me, and if you being around is going to hurt her, then you don't get to stay. So what'll it be? You gonna tell me what happened or do I need to let Ruby know you're not going to be traveling with us for much longer?"

Weiss gripped the hem of her shirt so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. Her pulse sped as Yang's threat sank in. The sisters would leave her behind if she couldn't admit her weakness and shame aloud.

Her own panicked response startled her. _I don't want to leave_ , Weiss realized. _I feel like I just started moving forward—started learning about myself._

As prickly as her behavior had been over the past couple of weeks, a part of Weiss still recognized if it hadn't been for the two sisters, she doubted she would have gotten as far as she had. Somehow, despite the growing tension between them of late and Weiss's own issues, she _trusted_ them. She went to sleep knowing they wouldn't abandon her in the night no matter how abrasive she had been that day. She had learned to—well, enjoy was a strong word for it—but a part of her felt lighter whenever they treated her like an equal. Not once had they dismissed her like her father would have when she asked a question about something. Yang, in particular, would always take the time to explain things to her. True, once in a while the woman would tease her for being an ignorant noble, but that never stopped her from _teaching_ her. Would anyone else have treated her so fairly? She didn't know, and she wasn't inclined to find out. She didn't want to part with Yang and Ruby.

Weiss thought back to the last two Grimm encounters, how when Weiss asked her to, Ruby had stepped aside to let her slay her first Beowolf, and how in the recent fight, they had trusted her to take down the Nevermores. Ruby had only gotten involved when the Boarbatusk had overwhelmed her. It was staggering to consider, but the sisters had trusted _her_ to watch their backs. It was so...so stimulating. Stirring. Mind-bending even. And she didn't want to lose it.

Unfortunately, the silence that had accompanied her racing thoughts must have seemed like a refusal to answer to Yang for the taller woman shook her head and rose to her feet.

"You can keep your money and whatever we've given you, but you're going to have to find someone else to take you to Vytal," she said as she turned away.

_No!_

"Wait!" Weiss's breath caught when Yang did as she asked. "I—w-well—"

She didn't know how to say it, how to put her feelings into words in a way Yang would understand. She could only look up at Yang pleadingly.

Yang must have seen something in her face for the woman's expression had softened again, and she sat back down. "Take your time," she said as she leaned back on her hands to stretch out her legs.

It took some time for Weiss to organize her thoughts, and then even more time to gather up the courage to speak. At last, she said in an uncharacteristically small voice, "Ruby is fifteen."

Yang blinked and raised an eyebrow even as her brow furrowed in confusion. "Yeah, and…?"

Weiss made a frustrated noise. "You don't understand. She's _only_ fifteen."

That confused look only deepened, but Yang's voice remained soft and encouraging. "Then help me understand. Why is Ruby's age a problem?"

"Because it is!" Weiss struggled to make sense of her feelings. "She's just so—so talented. She can build a fire, hunt, shoot a bow, exterminate hordes of Grimm with ease, cook, sew...her swordsmanship is a thing of beauty and she seems to have mastered her Semblance...she can do all those things—and do them _well_ —and she's only fifteen! And I…"

_And I'm struggling to do far less yet I'm several years older than her._

Yang's brows drew together with an almost audible click and she said, "That's it? That's why you've been picking on her all this time?" The other woman backtracked quickly when Weiss flinched at her words. "Ugh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that, but seriously—why does it matter?"

Weiss straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath. She owed it to Yang to be completely honest right now, no matter how difficult it was. Perhaps this could be her penance, ripping her heart open and leaving it bare for another person to see, when all her instincts screamed at her to stop and not let her vulnerabilities show. Feelings were dangerous when there was someone like her father around, who had no qualms about taking advantage of her and manipulating her into doing whatever he wanted.

"My father...has never approved of anything I've done. Ever. He" —she closed her eyes and her hand floated up to touch the scar across her eye— "has told me repeatedly that I'm...I'm no good. That I'm just a girl. That the things I value, like my rapier skills, are unfit for a lady of my standing and that I'm a disgrace for pursuing such unladylike pastimes." She clenched her fists. "He believes that a woman should be seen and not heard, and that my only value is in my ability to form a marriage alliance with one of his business partners. Everything else about me is worthless unless it somehow improves his social standing. I've tried so hard all my life to prove him wrong, but…

"But the first chance I get to really prove myself, I had to get rescued, again and again. I had to face the fact that there's so much I don't know—so many skills that I need to master to be able to truly stand on my own—and to learn that all that knowledge and all those skills were already in the hands of someone so much younger than me…"

She couldn't bring herself to continue saying the words, but her traitorous mind kept going anyway. _It's like my father was right all along. I_ _ **am**_ _weak. Worthless. I can't do anything on my own._

It was one of the hardest things Weiss had ever done, but she forced herself to look up to meet Yang's eyes. What she saw there left her breathless and confused. Understanding and sympathy. Not pity, but _sympathy_.

"First off," Yang said, "your dad sucks and I hope I never have to meet him ever."

Weiss couldn't help it. She gave a very unladylike snort even as a tear or two leaked from the corner of her eye. She didn't quite understand the colloquialism Yang was using, but it was clear from the tone of her voice that whatever the woman had said was unflattering at best. It was so refreshing to finally see someone who wasn't acting like her father was the most amazing man in all of Atlas in an attempt to curry favor.

Yang grinned at her in triumph, evidently proud of herself that she'd been able to surprise a laugh out of the noble. "Secondly, forget him. He's not here to criticize and judge you. Who cares what he thinks?"

"Thirdly," her expression grew gentle but somber, "you're looking at this all the wrong way." She ran her fingers through her golden mane, clearly trying to think of the right words to say.

"Ruby…Ruby was barely thirteen the first time she had to kill a Grimm," she continued, her voice quiet. "Uncle Qrow wanted some backup for a Grimm hunt and neither of us were comfortable leaving her behind at the cabin. So we brought her along and left her with the Riders who had accompanied us, while we went on ahead to take down the Alpha Ursa. What we didn't know was that there was a small pack of Beowolves that had moved into the area since we'd gotten the information about the Ursa. Ruby saved the lives of five men that day. She took every one of Uncle Qrow's lessons to heart and the moment the Riders were in danger, she leapt into battle and took down two Beowolves for every one the others managed to slay.

"Weiss...you look at Ruby and see all the things she can do and think she's amazing, but when I look at Ruby, all I can see is a world that's so dangerous that a child had to learn how to turn her body into a deadly weapon in order to protect herself. In order to be able to feel _safe_."

The blood drained from the noble's face as her mind instantly recalled all the horrifying scars that covered the poor girl. She wanted to ask, but she wasn't sure if she was allowed to.

Yang took one look at her and sighed. "Go ahead, Princess, I know you want to."

Weiss hesitated. "I shouldn't. It's none of my business."

"No, it isn't, but I'd still rather you hear it from me than have you ask Ruby about it later." A strange note entered her voice. "You might as well know that she's already given me permission to talk to you about it if you asked. She's really worried that you're upset with her or that you hate her."

Weiss choked. "What? Why?"

"Because for some reason, she's grown attached to you and you haven't been to see her since the two of you fell into the river. She might even be thinking something stupid like her scars scared you away and now you don't want anything to do with her anymore."

"That's—"

"Wrong, I know." The look in Yang's eyes warned Weiss that she'd _better_ think Ruby's line of thinking was wrong or else someone was going to get hurt. "So in exchange for satisfying your curiosity, you'd better go over there, spend some time with her, and put her fears to rest."

Weiss nodded, "I will." She took a deep breath to prepare herself and then asked, "What happened?"

* * *

Later that evening, Weiss found herself watching over Ruby as the girl dozed in her bedroll by the fire.

The horrific story Yang had told her was still fresh in her mind.

" _No one but Ruby really knows what happened, but she hasn't said a word since then."_

_Weiss had interrupted. "You mean she can speak?"_

" _We think so. We're just waiting for the day when she's ready to open up again. And please don't interrupt anymore. This is hard enough as it is."_

" _Anyway," Yang continued, "when we found out she was missing, everyone who was free helped search, but we didn't find her until Renet, the tavern owner, sent word that a trio of human mercenaries had been drunkenly bragging about finding a wolf-eared animal and lashing it to a tree outside the town. We found her covered in blood and tied up so that she couldn't undo the knots herself." Her fingers curled into a white-knuckled fist. "She was already so far gone that Uncle Qrow had to risk awakening her Aura that night. It was a miracle she survived."_

Shame threatened to drown Weiss as the words played through her head over and over. She hadn't even considered that there might have been a price to pay for Ruby's level of skill. All she had been able to think about was her own jealousy and shortcomings, yet it all seemed so petty and worthless now.

How could she possibly make up for the way she had been treating Ruby all this time? Would the girl even want to forgive Weiss after the noble had nearly gotten her killed? Yang seemed to think so, but Weiss had her doubts. She always had her doubts.

" _You know, I'm kinda surprised you didn't ask about Ruby's ears and tail," Yang said offhandedly as she put out the fire in preparation for heading back to camp._

_Weiss lifted a shoulder. "There wasn't much to ask. She's a Faunus." She hesitated before asking, "Was she...adopted?" She was taking a risk by being so blunt, but she really wanted to know._

" _No," Yang responded flatly. "But...we've got different mothers."_

_Oh. Well, that explained a lot._

" _I don't think she knows though, or at least I've never told her, so please don't mention it. It's not something she needs to worry herself over. I'm only telling you now because I don't want you asking her questions later. We're sisters in all the ways that count. Who cares if full-blood isn't one of them."_

Perhaps a few years ago Weiss would have been more agitated by the fact Ruby was a Faunus, but that would have been before Klein had left her her mother's diaries. Somehow the butler had managed to secrete away the precious journals before her father could destroy them, and Weiss thanked him every day for doing so. If he hadn't, she might still be ignorant of just how manipulative and underhanded her father truly was.

Her mother had married him and left him to manage the family business because he had been a charming young man who had managed to turn his own family fortunes around within the span of only seven years or so. By the time she realized how unscrupulous he was, he had already gained a firm foothold in seizing all power from her, both within the Schnee household and in the political sphere. From bribery to blackmail to outright coercion, no tool was too unethical for Jacques Schnee if it meant advantageous results, and even the most loyal of servants would betray their masters—or in this case, their mistress—if their family or livelihood was placed in jeopardy. Klein might have been the only ally her mother had left by the end.

And there were other things written in those journals. Even as her mother was losing everything, she continued to fight and protect her people. Servants who couldn't bear to betray her but were being pressured to submit to Jacques Schnee came to her in fear of their families, knowing that if the Schnee patriarch wanted something, he would get it sooner or later and that he didn't care who got hurt in the process. With Klein's help and the assistance of the few remaining allies she had left, Weiss's mother worked hard to get those servants and their families to safety, even if meant losing even more of her support base.

It was why the Faunus workers in the castle gradually started disappearing to the point where Weiss didn't remember Schnee Castle having _any_ Faunus workers until she read her mother's journals. Only then did she remember the animal eared or animal tailed servants who used to change her bed linens or watched over her as she played in the castle as a child. There was a woman with antlers who had sewn up her torn doll, and another with feathers who lit the fireplace in her room during the autumn and winter months. How could she have forgotten?

Yet she knew the answer. Her father, who was so concerned with his social standing amongst the upper class, wanted nothing to do with those "Faunus animals," those _lesser_ beings, and he had done his best to instill the same lack of tolerance into his offspring. Worse, he had almost succeeded with Weiss. It took years for her to realline her thinking again—to get to the point where she could hope to avoid seeing every Faunus as an enemy or someone to look down upon. The White Fang scared her, but if her reaction to Ruby was any indication, perhaps she wasn't as far gone down the path of her father's indoctrination as she feared.

Weiss honestly had felt nothing but a glimmer of surprise regarding Ruby's Faunus heritage. She had been too engrossed in finally getting to see the girl without her hood. And then she had heard the story of what those human monsters had done to the poor girl when she was but a child...how could she look down on someone who had suffered so just because she had an extra pair of ears and a tail? Someone who had risked her own life to save someone like Weiss more than once?

" _You know what might help?" Yang said offhandedly as they started walking back._

" _Help what?" Weiss asked, confused._

" _Your whole issue with Ruby being younger than you. Basically, your problem is that all you can see are all the things she can do that you can't, right? So why don't you teach her something you can do but she can't? That way you can feel like you're on equal-footing."_

_It was a good idea, but…_

" _What could I possibly teach her that she doesn't already know?" Weiss was certain Ruby had no need to learn how to skillfully reject suitors without insulting them or how to host a gala to impress business partners._

_Yang was quiet for a moment before saying at last, "Ruby doesn't know how to read or write. Our parents did—you can't be a Huntsman or Huntress without passing a written test along with the practical skills test—but they had only just started teaching me when Ruby's mom and then our dad passed away, and after that there just wasn't any time for me to teach her what little I knew. I had that foundation so I sorta can still read simple stuff, but Ruby can't at all." She glanced at Weiss. "I think she'd be happy if you offered to teach her."_

Weiss frowned slightly to herself at the memory. For some reason, Yang had sounded rather hesitant. Did Yang not want Ruby to learn to read or write? In any case, any reluctance the older sister might have felt wasn't enough to make her withhold information if it would help smooth things out between Ruby and Weiss, but still. It was something to contemplate later on when things weren't so tumultuous.

The noble was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice Ruby stirring until she happened to look down to see the girl looking back at her. Weiss jumped in surprise and then promptly flushed with embarrassment at getting caught off guard.

She cleared her throat awkwardly. "...How are you feeling? Do you need anything? Tea? Water?"

This was the first time Weiss had seen Ruby with her eyes open, and she couldn't help but stare a little. _She has silver eyes_ , Weiss realized. And they were so...so open and unguarded. True, there was a shadow of pain in them; Yang had already explained how Ruby wouldn't be able to move without hurting for the next several days, but there was also a guilelessness to them that Weiss didn't think she'd ever seen before in anyone.

Weiss's heart tightened when Ruby shook her head with an agonizing slowness, the girl wincing slightly as she did so. This was her fault. If Weiss had just been more careful, if she had been keeping an eye on her surroundings before venturing out across the ravine, that Nevermore wouldn't have ambushed her and Ruby might not be suffering like this now.

She had to make this right.

"Ruby, I-I'm so sorry," Weiss said, her voice breaking. "You...I…"

_You shouldn't have had to save me. I should have done better. I shouldn't have been treating you so badly all this time._

The words died on her lips before they could fully take form. What could she possibly say to make Ruby forgive her? Did she even deserve to be forgiven?

However, before Weiss could manage to work herself into a spiral of negativity, Ruby started to squirm inside her cocoon of blankets. The girl kept having to stop as the pain in her muscles got the better of her, but she would inevitably start up again as soon as she had caught her breath.

Weiss panicked. "W-what's wrong? Do you need something?"

Of course, there was no answer because the girl's hands were trapped somewhere beneath her blankets. Unsure of what to do or how to help, the noble sat frozen, watching the girl and holding her breath right along with her every time she had to stop from the pain.

Finally, the girl managed to work one of her arms free of their blanket prison, and she reached out towards Weiss. Weiss caught the girl's hand in both of her own and was stunned when Ruby squeezed as much of Weiss's hand as she could. Weiss's heart just about broke at how weak Ruby's grip was compared to earlier that day. The girl had no more strength than a baby, and it was all Weiss's fault.

Yet the noble was given no chance to begin internally berating herself. Ruby weakly shook their connected hands to get her attention, and a somewhat shy but undeniably warm smile crossed her face. Ruby squeezed Weiss's hand again, her grip no stronger than before, but this time Weiss finally understood what the silver-eyed girl was trying to tell her. It shook her to the core.

 _It's alright,_ the girl was saying.

Weiss wet her lips. She had to know for sure. "Do you...forgive me?"

Ruby tilted her head confusedly and squeezed Weiss's hand again, this time running her thumb along whatever part of Weiss's hand she could reach, clearly still trying to comfort the noble.

A girl who was currently _bedridden_ , of all things, was trying to comfort _her_. It made no sense!

Weiss jumped when a voice suddenly spoke up behind her. "She's trying to tell you that you don't need to apologize. There's nothing to forgive." Yang had finished doing whatever had been occupying her time up until now and apparently had come over to check on the two of them.

"That can't be," Weiss started to say only to see Ruby nodding brightly in confirmation. She looked back at Yang who seemed amused by her inability to process what was happening.

Yang settled herself down next to Weiss and reached down to run her fingers through Ruby's hair. The girl's eyes half closed with contentment, and she seemed to be trying to lean into her older sister's touch.

"This is who we are, Weiss," Yang said softly. "We're the last ones who would judge you for making mistakes, because we make them all the time. Can't say _I_ won't get mad at you from time to time—I'm not as big-hearted as Ruby—but that doesn't mean I won't forgive you.

"Like I said before, forget your father. Forget what he thinks of you. He clearly doesn't know anything. You were able to slay a Grimm the first time you encountered one; that's amazing. You're smart. You ask questions when you don't know something, and you actually listen. Not many people do that. And not everyone can look at themselves, see their faults, and think that they want to get better. That takes strength and courage that most people don't have."

Ruby clearly didn't know what Yang was referring to since she hadn't been present during their earlier conversation, but that didn't stop her from giving Weiss another weak, yet comforting squeeze.

It was all too much.

Weiss had to let go of Ruby's hand in order to wipe her eyes. She had sought acceptance for so long, doing everything she could to meet her father's impossible standards, getting berated and criticized at every turn. But even when she broke away from her father after seeing the kind of man he truly was, a part of her never stopped hoping that one day he would look upon her with approval—that one day he would see how hard she tried to be the best she could be. Instead, she had found that acceptance and approval in the most unlikely of places.

Who would have thought that the two sisters—who she had happened across by chance more than anything else—would be the ones to fill that aching hole within her? And they had done it not because she had finally attained perfection, but because she had tripped and stumbled. She let herself get blinded by the remnants of the poison her father had dripped into her ears, made mistakes, and hurt a girl who already had already experienced enough pain to last a lifetime. She was imperfect, but they accepted her anyway.

A small, warm hand reached out and touched her knee hesitantly. Worriedly. She was worrying Ruby.

"I'm fine," she choked out, wiping her eyes again and laying her own hand atop the smaller girl's. She tried to look in the direction she thought Ruby's eyes were, but her vision was still blurred with tears.

A larger, even warmer hand clasped her shoulder once before letting go, and its warmth threatened to send Weiss into tears once again.

The three of them stayed there for a time, waiting for the rest of Weiss's tears to subside. When it was clear Weiss had finally calmed down, Yang suddenly spoke up.

"Let's start over," she said entirely out of the blue, causing both Weiss and her own little sister to look at her with confusion. The golden-haired woman rolled her eyes. "You know, clear the air. Pretend the last few weeks didn't happen. No more apologies. No more feeling bad about whatever. From this point on, we just start over. Clean slates for all of us."

"What…?" Weiss started to ask, but she was distracted by Ruby's immediate and obvious approval.

"Good! Now that that's settled—"

"Wait! I didn't agree yet!"

Yang grinned at her. "You don't need to. It's two against one. Majority rules."

"Since when?"

"Since I said so. Now hush." She cleared her throat theatrically. "Hello, I'm Yang Xiao Long and this is my little sister, Ruby Rose." Yang looked at Weiss expectantly.

"...I'm Weiss Schnee."

Yang beamed. "Nice to meet you!"

Ruby freed her hand from under Weiss's and gave Weiss a wave and a shy smile.

 _Madness. This is utter madness. I can't keep up,_ Weiss thought to herself as she pinched the bridge of her nose tiredly.

"—eiss. Hey, Weiss. Are you listening?"

"What?"

Yang gave another eyeroll. "I said we have rules. Do you remember them?"

Rules? What…? Oh, there had been something like that, hadn't there? Their uncle had insisted upon them before they left. What were they? She didn't remember.

It must have shown on her face for Yang said, "Don't worry about it. We can go over them again, but you better pay attention. I'll be testing you later.

"So, rule number one: Trust each other. Rule number two: Trust your instincts. Rule number three: Take care of your body. Rule number four: Take care of each other. You with me so far?"

Weiss nodded, doing her best to affix the words to her memory this time. She was tired enough that she knew she would need a reminder or two later on though. The first time she had heard these rules, she had brushed them off as a doting uncle worrying about his nieces. This time, however, she wasn't just standing on the sidelines watching. She was being _included_. It was like she had finally passed some test, and now she was truly part of the team, subject to the same rules and stipulations. It felt better than she could have ever imagined.

"Good. Those are the basic rules, but I want to add a new one. Rule number five: Talk to each other." Yang made a face. "We screwed up big time this past week. Out here where there could be Grimm lurking behind the next set of trees, letting negative feelings get the better of us is dangerous. Traveling together, there's no avoiding getting on each other's nerves and arguing from time to time, but no more letting those feelings fester and grow. If you have a problem with either of us—if we do something that bothers or annoys you—speak up and we'll discuss it as a team. In return, we'll do the same for you. Sound good?"

It sounded better than good, to be honest. If they had been able to put that rule into practice sooner, then perhaps today's Grimm encounter could have been avoided entirely. _Then again_ , Weiss thought, _if today hadn't happened, would I have been in the right frame of mind to agree? Most likely not._

But she could do better. She would do better.

Weiss raised her eyes only to see both of the sisters looking back at her, waiting patiently for her reply, as if her opinion truly _mattered_. And knowing as much as she did now, she was optimistically inclined to believe they really did care about her opinion.

A foreign sense of warmth filled her chest at the thought as she managed a nod of acquiesce, which was promptly returned with a pair of matching grins. _Oh, so that's where the family resemblance is._

It would be difficult, she knew. She wasn't used to putting her thoughts and feelings into words, but she would try. For her own sake and the sakes of these two sisters who had given her more chances to rectify her mistakes than she deserved, she would try.


	12. Visiting Treline

Weiss cracked open her eyes briefly before snuggling back into her blankets. The morning air was chill on her face, and she knew the moment she pushed back her blankets, the cold would instantly seep through her sleep clothes and siphon away all her warmth. She couldn't stay in her bedroll forever though, so eventually she heaved a reluctant sigh and sat up. She had long graduated from needing Yang to wake her every morning, thank Dust. She never truly thought the day would come, but her body had finally acclimated after countless days of travel.

"Morning," Yang said from where she was stirring a pot over the fire. "I set your clothes out over there" —she motioned to the other side of the fire— "they ought to be warm by now." It was a trick the two sisters had taught her as soon as the autumn mornings had turned from cool to cold. Leave whatever you planned to wear for the day by the fire for a few minutes (preferably upwind to lessen the chance that a stray spark would land on them), and they wouldn't be stone cold when you slipped them on.

"Thank you," Weiss said gratefully. She rose and moved to the blissfully warm fireside. Yang turned away, giving her privacy, and she stripped and dressed as quickly as she could. At the beginning of their journey, she would never have dressed out in the open like this, she mused, but now it barely bothered her. Still, it was nice of Yang to make a point of turning away to protect her modesty.

She supposed it should bother her more though. Especially now that they had left the forest behind and had now entered what Yang referred to as "hill country." Rolling hills covered with ankle-high grass and shrubs as far as the eye could see, with only the occasional copse or grove of trees to mar the open view. Weiss imagined that it'd be a beautiful sight to behold in the spring and summer months but right now, many of the plants looked brown, wilted, and bare as nature prepared itself for the coming winter.

To be honest, the open view and visible skyline were actually rather disconcerting. Weiss had grown used to being surrounded by trees, so now that she was without them, she felt exposed and vulnerable. The only thing that made her feel safer was knowing that Ruby would hear anyone coming long before they could even be considered threats.

"I'm done," she called out as she bundled up her sleep clothes and packed them away in her bedroll. When she had finished securing her bedroll to her knapsack and turned back to the fire, she saw a steaming cup of tea waiting for her. Murmuring another word of thanks to Yang, who nodded in response, she cupped her hands around the mug, blew on it gently to cool it, and took few careful sips. She closed her eyes in appreciation as the hot beverage started warming her from the inside out.

It was only then that she took the time to fully survey their campsite. Her eyes fell upon a messy pile of bedding. Ruby's. She frowned.

"Where's Ruby?" she asked.

Yang glanced up and followed her eyes to Ruby's abandoned bedroll before looking back down. "Probably taking a walk. I don't think she slept well last night," she replied softly as if trying not to be overheard.

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked, instinctively using the same soft tone.

"Ruby's pretty neat and tidy, right?"

Well now that she mentioned it, yes. Most of the time, anyways.

Yang gestured to Ruby's bedroll. "She left it out. If she had slept well and simply woke up before us, she would have put it away herself. The only times she doesn't is if she either wakes up early enough that she doesn't want to risk making too much noise putting it away and accidentally waking us up, or if she got up in the middle of the night, planning to return, but doesn't for some reason."

Oh. Weiss felt a pang of guilt, vividly remembering the time when her mind immediately thought the worst and believed that Ruby's messy bedroll was a reflection of the girl's character.

Yang's words from a week ago suddenly came to mind.

" _Ruby's not really good with people...they can stress her out to the point where her health suffers."_

A bout of anxiousness ran through her. Had she said or done something to make the girl uncomfortable again?

"Is it my fault?" The words were on her lips before she even realized it.

Yang looked up, took in her expression, and shook her head. "No, it's not you. You're fine."

"But—"

It was hard for Weiss to believe Yang's words. She had been trying to do better, truly, but sometimes Ruby's antics caused Weiss to lose her patience. The girl had just spent the better part of a week, bedridden and wracked with pain! Surely, she would settle down and take it easy for a while, at least until her Aura finished replenishing itself, but no; instead, the girl was up on her feet, moving around as soon as she was able, even though it was clear her body was still sore and hurting. The girl had absolutely no sense of self-preservation, and Weiss had snapped at her more than once because of it.

"I mean it. It's not your fault this time. I would have told you straight out if you were doing something wrong, remember?"

Weiss digested that.

It was true that Yang had been taking their new team rule, "Talk to each other," very seriously. Before she had never outright ignored Weiss, but unless Weiss asked a specific question, she and Yang had been like ships in the night, only exchanging greetings and sharing immediate information like when they would be taking a break on the trail or where they would be stopping for the night, especially after Yang had lost her temper with Weiss. Now, they actually had conversations. And now that Weiss knew that Ruby was a Faunus, Yang had opened up more about what it was like for the sisters growing up in Patch, and Weiss, in turn, shared a little bit of her own childhood, usually in the evenings after supper.

To be honest, Weiss was still struggling with being so openly honest, but when she realized that Ruby stopped being so fidgety whenever Weiss shared something new with the sisters, she straightened her shoulders and made an effort to push past her discomfort. Ruby needed to stop moving around so much and _rest_ , so if listening to Weiss caused her to sit still for even a few more moments, that was a victory in Weiss's book.

Yang was having similar frustrations with her little sister and had more than once threatened to sit on the girl. She had even put a ban in place. No hunting, no running, and no scouting until Yang said she could, a pronouncement that had been met with a pair of pathetically drooping canine ears and silver eyes so horrified that Weiss was forced to look away. Privately, Yang admitted to Weiss that Ruby was probably fine by now, but since the girl was finally eating again, Yang wanted her to regain some weight before returning to her usual waist tapering activities, a plan that Weiss supported wholeheartedly. Ruby was far too thin considering how active she always was, something that had become abundantly clear the one time Weiss had seen the girl unclothed; and after her talk with Yang, Weiss could only assume that the girl's weight loss was at least partially her fault. The girl needed to eat more and regularly if she was ever going to gain whatever weight she lost back, and Weiss was determined to assist in any way possible. If that meant opening up a bit more and sharing stories about her childhood to keep the girl still, then so be it.

Even so…

"You promise?" Weiss found herself asking. "That you'd tell me if I was being too harsh?"

Yang quirked up an eyebrow. "You honestly think I'd let you pick on my little sister again? Trust me. You say one thing out of line, and I'll be on you faster than Ruby's Semblance."

Weiss wasn't sure whether to be reassured or scared by the other woman's declaration but decided to go with the former.

Weiss put down her tea and started handing their bowls to Yang, who accepted them with a nod of thanks. She watched as Yang dished out their breakfast.

"Why do you suppose she couldn't sleep?" Weiss asked as she accepted the bowl Yang passed her way with a quiet word of thanks.

Yang let out a gusty sigh. "Hard to say for sure, but...it's probably because we're so near town."

Indeed, they were. It had taken three full days for Ruby to be able to move on her own and a few more after that before Yang felt comfortable enough with Ruby's recovery to suggest moving on. Weiss's platform Glyphs had easily gotten them out of the ravine and after a brief discussion, they decided to drop by the nearest town to resupply. Up until now they had been able to stretch their food supplies thanks to Ruby's hunting, fishing, and foraging prowess, but since Yang had put a ban on all those activities, their supplies had been dwindling fast. Yang also hoped to find some second-hand winter gear for all of them. They had arrived some time the previous afternoon but decided to camp out for the night to avoid lodging fees. Today was the day they would actually enter the town.

Weiss hesitated a moment before asking, "So she's anxious about all the people?"

"Probably. Uncle Qrow told me that it might not only be anxiety though. She's a wolf Faunus, right? So her hearing and sense of smell are stronger than ours. She spends so much time alone out in the forest that when she finally heads back to civilization, the hustle and bustle probably overwhelms her senses."

That...actually made a lot of sense now that Weiss thought about it. Even she sometimes found the cacophony of the city to be overwhelming at times. How much worse would it be for a Faunus who was used to the quiet of nature?

"Hey, Weiss?"

Weiss looked up from her breakfast to see Yang rubbing the back of her neck in a way that signaled to Weiss that she was about to say something personal or private.

"Go easy on Ruby today, like, super easy. She might not want to go into town with us and if that's what she decides, don't push her too hard, alright? Some days she can handle people. Other days she just can't, and pushing her doesn't solve anything. It just makes things worse." Yang gave her a humorless, self-deprecating grin. "I had to learn that the hard way."

Weiss frowned. "Are you proposing that we leave Ruby behind all by herself?"

"If she doesn't feel up to going into town, then yeah. I mean it, Weiss. Don't push her. Please."

That...didn't sit well with Weiss at all.

Ever since Weiss had seen Ruby's pale, motionless form after their icy dip in that cursed river, Weiss had had her own share of nightmares where this time, Ruby didn't wake up. Instead, Weiss was forced to watch as the girl's body grew colder and colder until she stopped breathing altogether. Those nights, Weiss woke up in a cold sweat and would only risk going back to sleep after checking to see if Ruby was still breathing. Now, nearly two weeks later, the nightmares had mostly faded—thankfully—but soon they had been replaced by a tugging sense of worry that made Weiss need to know exactly where Ruby was and what she was doing at any given time before she could fully relax. Even now, Weiss found herself looking up, constantly surveying their surroundings in hopes of seeing Ruby returning from wherever she was.

Logically speaking, Weiss knew that Ruby was fully capable of taking care of herself and had been doing so repeatedly since the day they had met. However, after seeing just how young and innocent the girl was beneath her hood—just how small and weak she had looked while curled up in her bedroll, her body wracked with pain those first few days they had spent in the ravine—Weiss felt something akin to responsibility for the girl. Undoubtedly some of that responsibility was borne of guilt, but the rest? She couldn't be one hundred percent certain, but Weiss imagined it was very similar to what Yang must feel for the girl, a true older sibling's concern for a younger one. How else could she explain why Ruby's well-being was suddenly noticeably important to her?

No, Weiss did not want to let Ruby out of her sight, not so soon after her recovery. Maybe in time, Weiss would learn to relax again, but right now she wanted to be able to ascertain Ruby's condition with her own eyes whenever the need struck her.

And yet...Yang was Ruby's older sister so it stood to reason that she knew Ruby best. If Yang was telling her not to pressure Ruby if she didn't feel like going into town, who was Weiss to gainsay her?

So she said the only thing she could think of that would make her feel even remotely better about all this.

"If she does come with us, is there anything I can do to help to make it...less difficult for her?"

Memories of those first few days in the ravine flashed back to her.

_Ruby's silver eyes constantly shadowed and dull with pain._

_Yang having to carry Ruby over to the latrine so the girl could relieve herself because she didn't have the strength to stand, much less walk, on her own._

_Yang sitting behind Ruby, propping the small girl's torso up against her own, one arm securely around Ruby's waist and the fingers of her other hand gently carding through her dark tresses to comfort her, as she and Weiss tried to get Ruby conscious enough to drink some warm, honeyed tea or swallow down the concoction of mashed barley thinned with jerky broth that they'd made in an attempt to get some food into her. Weiss had been the one holding the cup of tea or the bowl and spoon because Ruby wasn't strong enough to hold them herself or even sit up on her own, and it went without saying that Yang wouldn't let someone like Weiss hold her precious baby sister so intimately. No, instead Weiss did her best to spoon some food into the girl or get her to take a sip or two of liquid, feeling more and more helpless when Ruby was barely able to manage more than a few mouthfuls at a time._

Weiss never wanted to be that helpless—that _useless_ —in the face of Ruby's suffering ever again. That meant she needed information, and who better to seek it from than Yang?

Yang gave her a searching look. Weiss didn't know what she was looking for but she must have found it, for eventually a slow, half-smile crossed the other woman's face, and she started speaking. Like raindrops falling onto rich soil, Weiss soaked up every word Yang had to offer, hoping that some of them would give her the tools she needed so she could finally give back to the young girl who had helped her so many times up until now. Perhaps this time Weiss would finally be able to return the favor.

* * *

"Ruby!"

Weiss looked up from where she was drying their breakfast dishes to see Yang striding over to Ruby and wrapping her up in a hug. The noble let out a breath that she didn't know she had been holding, and something inside her unwound just a bit. She had been getting worried.

Then she blinked. Something was off. Ruby was wearing her hood again.

Ever since Weiss had found out Ruby was a Faunus—at Yang's urging—Ruby had been traveling with her hood down and her tail unbound. (Weiss had discovered that the reason she had never seen Ruby's tail was because the girl usually kept the surprisingly flexible appendage curled up and hidden in a harness attached to the back of her belt). It was a sight Weiss had grown partial to seeing. It was so different traveling with her when her Faunus features were out in the open.

Ruby's lupine ears were constantly swiveling back and forth, perking up when she noticed something of interest and occasionally turning towards Weiss or Yang to listen whenever they said something. It helped break up the monotony of travel, for if Weiss got too bored of placing one foot in front of the other, she could always look up and try to puzzle out what had caught Ruby's attention this time. She would be disappointed when the girl returned to scouting ahead again, and Weiss went back to only seeing her when they made camp.

Weiss watched as Yang said, "We saved some breakfast for you," and her eyes narrowed when she saw Ruby's shoulders tense ever so slightly. That wasn't a good sign. The girl wandered over to the fire where they had left her bowl and sure enough, she started picking at her food rather than eating it.

Weiss met Yang's eyes with a question. _Who should intervene this time?_ She and Yang had taken to trading off who made sure Ruby ate. Nothing overt, of course. Just a word or two here and there, and if she didn't eat quite enough to satisfy them, they'd try to get her to eat a snack later to make up for it. And lately, she had been doing very well. Today was the first setback she'd had in a while.

Yang gestured with her chin for Weiss to try her luck and then returned to whatever she had been doing before.

Weiss wiped the last bowl dry and left the dishes where they were for Yang to put away. She made her way over to Ruby and sat down near her.

"Good morning, Ruby," she said primly.

She was greeted with a brief tail wag and a hand sign that Weiss recognized to be a general greeting.

"I didn't see you when I got up this morning."

Ruby signed something slowly, but the only gesture Weiss recognized was the one for "walk."

"You went for a walk?"

Another tail wag and a nod.

"Are there people nearby? You're wearing your hood again."

Weiss's sharp eyes caught Ruby's hesitation before the smaller girl shrugged uncomfortably. The corner of Weiss's mouth turned down. The girl was hiding something—well, trying to anyways.

In truth, the girl was the epitome of an open book. Weiss could hardly believe there was once a time she thought of Ruby as mysterious, of all things. The past week and a half had taught her that Ruby was anything but mysterious. If her shining silver eyes didn't give away her thoughts and feelings away, her constantly shifting wolf ears and tail were bound to. Both of her Faunus features were so incredibly expressive.

Perhaps that was why Weiss was so bothered to see Ruby with her hood up again. Ruby was just so open and her emotions so obvious that even the voices whispering in the back of Weiss's mind—the ones that constantly made her doubt herself—quieted. Weiss never had to second-guess her actions or words around Ruby. She never had to worry that the girl was privately criticizing or looking down on her in the back of her mind. The girl simply wasn't capable of such things.

Spending time with Ruby after a lifetime of dealing with nobles whose expressions rarely ever matched the thoughts that ran beneath them was like finally getting a breath of fresh air, and Weiss was loathed to part with it. More than that though, it burned her to know that Atlas was so unsafe for the Faunus that one as harmless and innocent as Ruby felt the need to hide away all the time, and it hurt all the more knowing Weiss's family was a large part of why it had become unsafe. The feeling lodged itself in the pit of her stomach like a heavy rock.

Weiss didn't want Ruby to ever feel that she needed to hide herself around her.

Weiss considered her options briefly before deciding to take a page from Yang's book. She slowly reached out, giving Ruby ample time to react or move away if she chose, and grasped the edge of the girl's hood. "May I?" she asked.

Ruby's shoulders curled inward slightly as she gave this sort of half-shrug.

Weiss pursed her lips and gently pushed back Ruby's hood.

She was met with a pair of drooping wolf ears and silver eyes that wouldn't meet her own. The girl's tail wrapped itself around her leg as though...ashamed? Weiss fought hard to dispel the sudden image of a chastized puppy from her mind. Why would Ruby be feeling ashamed? For taking a walk? For not being able to sleep?

Weiss ran her eyes over the girl again, this time taking in the paleness of her features and the slight shadows beneath her eyes. The girl looked tired.

But that was something to deal with later. First things first; Ruby needed to eat.

Weiss reached out with a finger and tapped the side of Ruby's bowl with a pointed look. "You don't have to eat all of it, but you need to eat something." She made sure to catch Ruby's eyes as she spoke and held them until Ruby gave a nod. Weiss's eyes softened. "Good." She turned away and pretended to be occupied by the fire while watching Ruby force down her breakfast from the corner of her eye.

Her mind turned as she considered Ruby's eating problems anew. Perhaps if they had more appetizing meals, the girl could be persuaded to eat more on a regular basis so that when these eating problems arose, they wouldn't affect her as badly. A corner of Weiss's mind immediately started considering how much lien the three of them had and how much of it could be safely used for sugary, strawberry flavored bribes.

She remembered all too well how excited Ruby had been that night at the cave when Yang brought back some strawberry preserves. Weiss had been somewhere between shocked and appalled at how quickly the girl had seemingly inhaled her slice of bread slathered with strawberry preserves and then proceeded to beg her older sister for another.

Weiss shook her head. Even back then Ruby's puppy-like tendencies had been on full display and at no point did Weiss ever suspect the girl might be a Faunus.

Yang must have been keeping an eye on Ruby as well, for the moment the girl gave up on trying to finish everything in her bowl and put it down, Yang was there.

"Hey Weiss, can you go fetch some water to douse the fire?"

Knowing the errand was, in truth, a veiled way for Yang to ask for some privacy so that she could check on her little sister, Weiss did as she was asked. She did her best to ignore the uncomfortable pang she always felt whenever she witnessed just how much the sisters loved each other. By the time she returned with a basin full of water, both sisters were back on their feet, their discussion apparently over. Ruby's hood was back in place and her tail was hidden once again. Did that mean…?

Weiss shot a questioning glance at Yang as the taller woman took the basin from her. Yang gave her a nearly imperceptible nod. Weiss relaxed. Ruby would be coming into the town with them. Good.

* * *

Treline was a medium-sized, relatively prosperous town that was surrounded by protective walls of rammed earth and survived on a combination of trade, agriculture, and sheep herding. It was named for the fact it once stood literally at the "tree line" where the forest ended and the rolling hills began. Of course, the original tree line had receded greatly due to deforestation. The trees had been felled not only to create land for farming, but also to use for building materials and firewood. Or at least that was what the elderly owner of the travel goods store said as he chatted with a bright and congenial Yang. Luckily for them, Treline was also well known for its wool and woolen products, meaning they should be able to find some good winter clothing.

Weiss was rather impressed by how effortlessly Yang started up a conversation with the shopkeeper, chatting about everything but what they had come here for. Yang managed to tease out all sorts of useful information—the best affordable eating and drinking establishments, where she could find a good cobbler, the best places to get some second-hand winter clothing, what the local specialities were—and even learned that the shopkeeper had a wife, two sons, a daughter, and a second grandchild already on the way before finally hunkering down to play the haggling game. In the end, the golden-haired woman walked out with full provisions for all of them at a notably lower price than the shopkeeper had initially asked for.

That was their first stop and conveniently, the shop had been located near the northern gate through which they had entered. Navigation after that ended up being much more difficult.

There were just so many _people_ —walking, laughing, talking, shouting, and who knew what else. Weiss assumed it was because everyone was trying to get in and out of the town gates, and the gates were only so wide, causing traffic in the area to get choked up. She had been bumped into and jostled enough that she wanted to scream at the next fumble-toed buffoon who ran into her. What was worse was that she couldn't even try to evade properly because her vision was currently being impaired.

By what?

By the dratted, mud-colored, visually offensive, hooded cloak she'd been forced to wear! Honestly, how did Ruby live her life with this horrid thing on all the time? Weiss had only been wearing it for maybe half an hour at most, and she already wanted to tear it to shreds. She hated how it cut off her peripheral vision, leaving her open to being jostled by clumsy fools simply because she couldn't see them until it was too late. She had only acquiesced to wearing the drabby thing after Yang pointed out how distinctive her Schnee hair and eyes were. That and Yang's other suggestion was for her to dye her hair, a suggestion that left her horrified at best. Wearing Ruby's extra cloak had seemed to be the lesser of two evils. Now she wondered if perhaps she had been a tad too hasty in her decision.

That was when a small hand reached back, gently took her by the wrist, and pulled her forward. Surprised, Weiss looked up only to notice that she had been drawn into a small pocket of empty space where there was no one to bump her. It took her a moment to realize exactly why that space was there. It seemed that Yang's muscular figure was intimidating enough that most people were giving her wide berth as they passed, creating a clear little bubble around her that Ruby knew to take advantage of. Weiss breathed a sigh of relief, fumbled around until she had Ruby's hand in her own instead of around her wrist, and gave that small hand a gentle squeeze of thanks before letting go. There wasn't any point in trying to speak. Weiss could barely hear her own thoughts amidst all these people. Ruby turned just enough to give her a thumbs up, and Weiss could almost picture the girl's tail wagging and her face breaking into one of those pleased grins of hers. It was enough to loosen a bit of the tension that had been building inside her.

As she expected, as soon as they moved further away from the gate, the throng of people died down enough for her to breathe again.

Their next stop was to the local cobbler's shop. There, Yang had Weiss trade in her worn shoes for a sturdy pair of winter boots. Even worn, Weiss's shoes were of high quality so they got a very good discount on her newer footwear. Apparently, the boots had been made for a rich merchant's wife who wore them a few times (scuffing them badly) before complaining and forcing the shoemaker to take them back. Unwilling to make no profit on the boots, the shoemaker sold them to the cobbler who repaired the scuffed leather as best he could before putting them on display, or at least that was the tale the cobbler told them. Weiss suspected he had embellished the details more than a little. The boots were a little loose, but Yang said that Weiss would be wearing thick woolen socks soon enough and that she'd need the extra room so that her feet weren't constricted.

By then, it was nearly midday so Yang followed her nose to a corner of the market square where there were a series of food vendors. Yang picked a corner of the eating area, dropped her pack for Weiss and Ruby to watch, and went off to get some food for the three of them. Weiss watched curiously as Ruby went through their packs and pulled out their travel mugs. When Yang returned, she handed Weiss the basket of food, accepted their travel mugs from Ruby, and walked off again. She soon returned with three full mugs of spiced cider.

"I'll get three copper lien back if we return the basket," Yang said as she passed out the mugs and sat down on one of the upturned crates scattered around the area. Weiss sat down on hers much more gingerly, half afraid the rough hewn wood would leave a splinter somewhere unpleasant. The basket sat on a third crate while and Ruby soon came back with a fourth crate for herself.

It was an eye-opening experience for Weiss. She had never had to provide her own mug just to get a drink before. And they had no plates or eating utensils! Thankfully, the basket was full of foods that seemed to be specifically crafted to be eaten by hand: sausage rolls, some sort of flatbread baked with melted cheese and fragrant onions on top, bite-sized cabbage rolls filled with spiced ground meat, fried potato wedges sprinkled with herbed garlic salt, grilled chicken skewers, and a few other things.

She saw a few people standing around with bowls and spoons that they eventually returned to a food cart that was clearly selling some sort of soup or stew. At some point, Weiss saw the vendor send her assistant to the fountain with a wagon full of dirty dishes that he started to rinse clean.

It was all quite fascinating to her. Her father would have probably locked her in her room for at least a month if he ever saw her eating a meal like this but instead of trepidation, the thought caused the corner of her mouth to twitch with satisfaction as she finished off her sausage roll. For once, he was not here to dictate her every move and action. This was _her_ life, to live and experience as she pleased, even if that meant she ended up sitting on an upturned crate and eating food with her fingers. She reached for a slice of the flatbread and found it still warm and pleasantly crispy.

All in all, it was a surprisingly good meal—the best any of them had had in over a month. Even Ruby seemed to enjoy it, and she _especially_ enjoyed the apple fritters Yang had kept hidden until the end. Ruby ate hers so fast that when Yang gave her a second one (she had ordered four of the sugary, apple-studded, fried treats for some reason), she specifically told her to eat slower. Ruby didn't quite succeed, but Weiss could tell Yang didn't really care. Yang—no, both of them—were just happy to see Ruby eating after the rough morning she had.

When they were done, Ruby and Weiss went to go wash up at the fountain while Yang guarded their things. After they returned, they traded places with Yang, who went to go return the basket and get cleaned up herself.

Their last stop for the day was the second-hand clothing store. It...surprised her, to say the least.

Shopping in her previous life meant a meticulously planned out affair that required a horse-drawn carriage, no less than eight guards and a driver, and a high-end merchant with several attendants fawning over her as soon as she arrived at the establishment. She would be offered food and drink as she told the merchant what she was looking for, and the attendants would rush to the back to fetch and carry out a few selections for her to examine. Or perhaps the merchant would be called to the castle to show off his wares, but either way, shopping was an organized event. Deliberate with nothing left to chance.

The second-hand clothing store was...nothing like that.

The moment Weiss entered the store, she was met with piles and piles of clothes, haphazardly strewn across several long tables, colors and patterns clashing with seemingly no rhyme or reason.

"Ho there, strangers," the owner said as he approached. "Lookin' for something in particular?"

"Ho there," Yang responded. "And yes, winter gear. Got a bit of traveling to do, and it's getting colder every day."

"Aye, that it is." He pointed out where the warmer clothing would be and explained it was all roughly organized according to size and clothing type. Yang gave him a word of thanks and then guided Weiss and Ruby to where the man pointed.

"Take off your pack for a second, Weiss. Gotta see if these fit you." The sharp woman waited until the shopkeeper was out of an earshot before speaking and made sure to keep her voice down. "Weiss" wasn't a common name, and they didn't want to risk garnering the wrong kind of attention.

Once Weiss's pack was off, Yang held a thick woolen shirt up against the back of Weiss's shoulders. "Hmm...a bit too big." She grabbed another and tried again.

Soon enough, Weiss had a set of warm-looking shirts in her arms, two thinner undershirts and four thicker overshirts. The shop owner wordlessly came by and offered Yang a basket to put the shirts in while they continued to browse. She thanked him, took Weiss's things, plopped them in the basket, and turned back to looking for things for Ruby.

"Go ahead and look around," Yang said to Weiss as she held a shirt up to Ruby's back. You're going to need a winter coat, gloves, and maybe a scarf if you get cold easily. You'll need some woolen leggings and socks as well, maybe three pairs of leggings and four pairs of socks?"

And so she went.

It bothered Weiss a bit to know all these things had been used at one time by some stranger, but Yang had explained to her that "normal people," as she put it, were extremely lucky if they could afford a single new outfit a year. New clothes, as Weiss defined them—that is, non-homespun, tailored garments made with high-quality materials—were only for people who could afford them, like merchants or nobles. The rest of the populace made their own clothes or made do with second-hand items, altering, patching, and resewing them as needed.

It took some time, but eventually Weiss found enough garments to suit her needs. She even found warm winter coat that came in a non-objectionable grey, and a pair of fur-lined gloves that made her body start to warm the moment she slipped them on.

She glanced back to see Ruby helping Yang find clothes for her much larger frame. It looked like it might take them a while longer to get everything settled, so she continued to browse, gradually working her way from the bandanas and scarves to the cloaks and shawls.

That was when she caught sight of a single vibrant color mixed among the dull browns, blacks, and greys. She reached into the messy pile and unearthed a brilliant crimson cloak of surprisingly good quality. The fabric was thick, sturdy, and doubled-layered, meaning it would be quite warm. Its seams were neat and held together well when Weiss tugged experimentally on them. It was a little dirty, but that was nothing a thorough washing couldn't fix. In fact, the only problem Weiss saw with it was that the bottom hem was a bit frayed.

 _It would suit Ruby well._ The thought surprised her, but only for a moment. _And it would certainly be better than the weathered old thing she wears now, and...I owe her for saving my life._

The problem was the cost. They weren't poor, but nor were they in a good position to allow any extraneous expenditures. Their funds had to last, at least until they got out of Atlas and out of reach of her father's influence. Once out of Atlas, Weiss wouldn't have to worry as much about being recognized and if need be, they could take on side jobs to procure extra funds as they made their way to Vytal's capital.

However, now that she had seen the cloak, she was highly reluctant to just leave it be. It was perfect for Ruby and matched that red-tipped hair of hers. It even had a hood!

Weiss held the cloak up to check its length and saw it fell to the middle of her calf. Perfect. Ruby was handy with a needle and thread. Even if they trimmed off the entire frayed bottom edge and Ruby resewed the hem, it would still fall to a suitable length on her smaller frame.

Weiss was so focused on the cloak and her own thoughts that she jumped when Yang suddenly said, "You stare at that any harder, and you're gonna burn a hole through it." The golden-haired woman looked at the cloak in her hands. "Did you want to buy that?"

The noble had to take a few deep breaths to still her rapidly beating heart, but eventually she said quietly, "Not for myself. I thought...well...maybe it would look good on Ruby." Weiss turned pink when Yang's brow shot up. "But I know we can't really afford to waste funds right now, and she doesn't really need it since she already has one. I just...thought it would look nice on her, that's all." She was about to put it back when Yang stopped her.

"Go ahead and add it to our stuff," the other woman said. Weiss stared at her in shock. Yang rolled her eyes. "I mean it. It's fine. We've already saved quite a bit of money by relying on Ruby's hunting and foraging skills all this time. And I'm pretty good at haggling. I'll be able to talk Mr. Shopkeeper over there down to a reasonable price. Trust me."

She did, but still, Yang's sudden willingness to spend money struck her as odd. Hadn't they passed by all those other villages because she didn't want them wasting money when they didn't have to?

"Aren't we supposed to come to a full agreement when it comes to spending team funds?" Weiss said at last.

"Eh—," Yang said with a shrug, "majority rules. Besides, Ruby's not gonna mind, not this time."

Weiss eyed her suspiciously. "What do you mean by that?"

"I'll tell you later. Here, give me that and go distract Ruby while I get these things paid for. Oh, and leave your packs with me. I might need to trade in some of our old things to get a better price. There're a few other shops up and down this street. Get Ruby to take you exploring. I'll catch up as soon as I'm done here."

To Weiss's surprise, Yang didn't take long at all. She and Ruby had walked perhaps halfway down the street and poked their heads into about three shops before they stepped outside again and heard Yang calling Ruby's name. They turned to see the woman with their three packs sitting at her feet and their winter coats slung over her forearm.

Once they reached her and reclaimed their packs, Yang passed out their coats. She took a moment to show Weiss how to tie the heavy piece of outerwear to the outside of her pack so that she didn't have to carry it in her arms as she walked.

Then, she gestured for Weiss and Ruby to follow her and led them into a quiet alley. When she turned back to them, she had a wide grin on her face that instantly put Weiss on guard, especially after Yang shot a wink at her.

"So Ruby," Yang said as she turned to her little sister, "Weiss got you a little something special while we were shopping."

Weiss could feel her face heating up as Ruby looked at her and tilted her head questioningly.

Yang continued, heedless of Weiss's attempting to glare a hole through the side of her head, "Check your pack. Oh! But before that..." She reached out and pushed Ruby's hood back. "Alright, now go check your pack."

With another questioning head tilt, this time accompanied by those remarkably expressive lupine ears of hers, Ruby swung off her knapsack and as soon as she started lifting the flap, Weiss saw a flash of red. A moment later, the smaller girl was standing with the crimson cloak hanging from her outstretched hands. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was open in a surprised little 'o' shape.

Weiss unconsciously started tensing up. Did she not like it? It was the dirt. It had to be the dirt. And maybe the frayed bottom. Weiss wasn't skilled enough with a needle and thread to fix the frayed edges, but she had at least planned to give the garment a good wash before presenting it to the girl. Why did Yang have to always have to jump ahead and bulldoze through everything? Normal people _planned_. They looked at their options, considered the possible outcomes, and then chose the one that led to the best case scenario, didn't they? So why couldn't Yang let her do so just this one time?

Weiss didn't know where else her racing thoughts might have led her, because suddenly there was a warm Faunus girl hugging her tightly, filling her nose with the scent of roses, and catching her so incredibly off-guard that she could only stand there stiffly until she was released. She looked down to see the widest grin she'd ever seen on another person's face and a pair of shining silver eyes. The girl seemed to be unable to contain her excitement, for she was practically bouncing in place and even spun around in a giddy circle once. Or twice. Make that three times. After the third time, Yang walked over and placed a large hand on her little sister's head, most likely to prevent the girl from doing it again and getting dizzy.

So...she liked it. Ruby liked it. Weiss couldn't help but let out a little sigh of relief.

"Don't forget to say 'thank you,'" Yang was saying to Ruby.

The girl turned to Weiss and gestured 'thank you' at least three times, still with that amazingly bright grin on her face. Seeing Ruby so unabashedly happy…soothed something in Weiss. She didn't know what, but her shoulders loosened all the same.

When Ruby finally ducked away to return her new cloak to her knapsack (with great reluctance, it seemed, but they needed to wash all their new things thoroughly before wearing them), Yang bent down near Weiss's ear and said, "Don't forget to say 'Happy Birthday' to her later."

Weiss's head shot up. "It's her birthday?"

"Yep. She was born during the Harvest Festival. Didn't you see all the carved turnips and gourds in people's windows and lining the streets?"

Well, now that Yang mentioned it, she had. She just hadn't put much thought into them. They were just a silly superstition. There was no way a carved vegetable would have the power to ward away evil spirits—assuming evil spirits even existed—and there was no way they would be able to ward away Grimm. It was far more likely that the prospect of good food and celebration that accompanied the Harvest Festival masked or banished negative emotions for a time, and _that_ was what kept the Grimm away.

"Why didn't you mention that earlier?" Weiss demanded.

"Because," Yang said in that soft way of hers that meant she was being serious for once, "the gift meant more coming from you before you knew it was her birthday."

"I...don't understand."

Yang shrugged. "You don't have to. Just trust me when I say it makes a difference."

Weiss frowned at that and was about to question the other woman further, but Yang chose to step away and ruffle Ruby's hair once before helping the girl put her hood back on. She then started leading the way back out of the alley, leaving Weiss no choice but to follow.

* * *

Sometimes Ruby saw her life as a continually filling bucket with a faulty valve at the bottom, like one of the ones on the bottom of a wine barrel or beer keg.

As each day passed, the bucket filled with that day's experiences, thoughts and feelings, and the things she managed to fully process or didn't need to worry about trickled out through the valve at the bottom. Most days were like that. She went through life, filled her bucket, and let things trickle out so that she didn't get overwhelmed. Other days though, maybe the valve got stuck and she couldn't open it properly, or perhaps the sheer volume of what entered the bucket was far greater than what could pour out the bottom, even if the valve was open. Those were the days Ruby started to falter, and she struggled to hold her bucket steady as it got heavier and heavier. Sometimes she was lucky and the flow stopped long enough for her to pry the valve back open. If she wasn't alone, sometimes Yang or Uncle Qrow helped her steady the bucket just long enough to rearrange her grip so that she could keep going. Other times though, the bucket grew too heavy. Its handle would cut into her fingers and no matter how hard she tried to hold onto it, it inevitably slipped from her weakening, aching grip, and it would splatter on the ground. Those were the really bad days.

Today was one of those not great days. The prospect of going into town and dealing with other people for the first time in a while left a tight feeling in her gut and kept her up for most of the night. At some point, Ruby gave up on sleep and took a long walk in hopes that it would tire her out enough to fall asleep. It didn't really work though, not when she could hear the distant thrum of civilization so close by. Yang and Weiss might not be able to hear the town from this far away, but Ruby could and if the wind blew just right, she'd even be able to smell it. The distant sounds only served as a reminder of what was to come the next day. A foray into the unknown with strangers around every corner. An expedition into the organized chaos that people called civilization. A never-ending struggle not to turn tail and run from all the sounds, smells, stress, and anxiety that pressed in on her from all sides.

Dealing with people always set her off like that. Every time she even considered encountering a stranger, much less a whole town of them, a part of her mind immediately went into fight or flight mode. All of her senses went on full alert, her stress levels shot up, tension ramped itself through every muscle and nerve, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't relax. It was scary. It was exhausting. And most of all, it was just so discouraging knowing that no one else she knew seemed to have as much trouble as she did. In her head, she _knew_ that most people weren't bad, that they weren't going to hurt her, but the rest of her never seemed to agree. Maybe once in a while she'd get distracted enough to forget where she was, usually if something really good happened, but the moment never lasted as long as she wanted it to.

But in spite of all of that, when Yang asked her if she was going into town with them, Ruby said 'yes'. Because if she didn't, Yang wouldn't get to do what she always wanted to do whenever they reached a new town; she wouldn't be able to ask around and find information on her birth mother. Ruby knew she wouldn't because Yang always put her responsibilities first and herself last. In this case, that meant she would stay with Weiss no matter how much she might want to go off on her own for a little while and search for answers. That is, unless Ruby was there to stay with Weiss.

Ruby might not like going into town, but that didn't mean she _couldn't_ do it. She'd done it before, and Yang knew it. All Ruby had to do was convince Yang that she'd be fine even if Yang left to do something else for a little while. Yang always worked so hard and did so much for Ruby, so if enduring the discomfort of society for a little bit was the only way she could pay her back, then so be it.

Still, that didn't mean she was going to like it.

Ruby's wolf ears folded down as she watched Yang make her way through the throng of people, leaving her and Weiss behind. Already she could feel the absence of Yang's warm, comforting, and protective presence. It was like a fire had suddenly gone out and a chill had crept its place, leaving Ruby feeling bereft and lost. Even her earlier excitement over getting that pretty red cloak from Weiss didn’t last in the face of Yang leaving. But she couldn't focus on that right now. She had to be a proper guide, and take care of Weiss.

Ruby gave herself a shake and turned to her companion. She couldn't help but smile a little, seeing Weiss all dressed up in her extra cloak. Weiss had grumbled about wearing it, but Ruby kind of liked seeing Weiss dressed like her. It was like Ruby suddenly had a twin!

She waved to get Weiss's attention and signed, _Do you want to walk around?_ That's what people did when they visited towns and cities, right? They looked around and if they had money, they bought stuff to take home. She and Weiss couldn't really buy anything—their packs were already pretty much stuffed to the brim—but they could still look, right?

There was a pause before Weiss asked, "Are you asking me if I want to take a walk?"

Ruby nodded.

Another pause. "Very well, then. Lead the way."

And so Ruby did.

It was kind of nice, walking around with Weiss. The noble didn't say much but then again, she didn't need to since Ruby was equally as quiet, for obvious reasons. They wandered the main streets, popping into whatever shop looked interesting. Ruby's favorite places were the glass artisan's shop and the bakery. She loved how pretty all the glass pieces were, and bakeries always smelled so good.

Weiss must have gotten hungry again for while they were at the bakery, the noble bought them some mini-egg custard pies to eat as they walked around. They were almost as good as the apple fritters they'd had during their midday meal! Almost. Eggy custards were good, but they'd never be as good as something that had fruit in it. Weiss's eyes must have been bigger than her stomach though, for she ate the first one and had Ruby eat the remaining two. Not that Ruby minded. She loved sweet things.

Unfortunately, things started going downhill after that.

As soon as it hit evening and store owners started stepping outside to light their storefront lanterns, the crowds increased twofold. It was the week of the Harvest Festival and that meant three or four nights of celebration, depending on local traditions. In Patch, the first night was always dedicated to welcoming back the souls and spirits of one's loved ones with small offerings of their favorite foods, while also carving turnips and gourds to ward away the less friendly spirits. The second and third nights were dedicated to feasting, drinking, having fun late into the night, and giving thanks for a good harvest. The last night was a solemn affair, for that was when any visiting spirits, friendly or unfriendly, returned whence they came. Families lit a candle for every departed loved one to guide their spirits home one last time and blew them out before turning in for the night. Blowing out the candle signaled to one's departed loved ones that everyone was home safe and sound and that the visiting souls could return to the other realm without worrying about the living. The final night also marked the official end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter.

Ruby, Yang, and Weiss must have arrived on either the second or third night, because the streets started getting more and more crowded as people closed up shop or returned from outside the town to join the festivities. Taverns, restaurants, and eateries opened their doors wide. Music could be heard leaking out of various establishments. Shouts, yells, and laughter could be heard from the town square where there were sure to be contests, dancing, games, and food and drink vendors.

It was all too much.

Ruby didn't know when she had stopped walking. Maybe it was after that last tipsy man bumped into her, the alcohol on his breath making her pulse race uncomfortably. Maybe it was after that lady screeched with laughter out of nowhere, causing her to jump and her breathing to grow unsteady. Maybe it was after that loud, ear-piercing clatter followed by a man's angry cursing as he accidentally dropped whatever he had been holding.

All she knew was that suddenly, every sound was too loud, every smell too strong, every human body too close. She was drowning. Suffocating. She couldn't seem to get enough air. She was sweating and feeling lightheaded. Her heartbeat stuttered even as it threatened to pound its way out of her chest, and it hurt.

Distantly, she thought she heard someone call her name. They were saying something. Asking something. Ruby might have tried to respond, but she wasn't sure. Someone took her by the hand and started pulling her along. At first, her panic spiked. Who had her? Where were they taking her? But then a slight breeze blew towards her face and she knew.

Weiss.

Ruby lost outside awareness after that. Her body was too busy screaming at her, telling her that she was only moments away from dying, that her heart was going to explode from beating so hard.

It felt like an eternity passed before she was aware of someone standing in front of her, holding her hands. Faintly, she noticed her knapsack was gone. Weiss must have removed it as well as her own.

"—uby? Breathe with me. You're safe. I promise you're safe. Breathe. One, two—"

Ruby tried. She breathed in and out, pushing away everything but the soft but firm voice that was telling her she was alright. That she was safe.

 _She sounds like Yang_ , Ruby realized, and making that connection helped even more. Yang might not be here in person, but she was still _here_. Ruby didn't know how long Weiss stood there with her, talking to her, rubbing soothing circles along the back of her knuckles, but Weiss never left her.

At last, after one final tremulous breath, all of the tension fell away, and Ruby felt like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Exhaustion washed over her. She must have wobbled or something, because suddenly Weiss was there, holding her steady by the elbow.

A silent sob rose to the back of Ruby's throat. She really, _really_ wanted a hug right now. She wanted Yang. She wanted someone to wrap her up in their arms and let her know that everything was going to be alright. She wanted to know that Weiss wouldn't hate her for being so weak and broken that she couldn't even handle a handful of people who meant her no harm.

"Ruby?"

Ruby choked back the urge to cry and reached out blindly to give Weiss's hand a squeeze. _I hear you. I heard you._ She was still too frazzled to be able to offer more than that. Her hands were shaking so badly.

Weiss squeezed back gently. "Is there anything you need? Do you need to go somewhere else? Should I go find Yang? Or—"

That did it. Weiss's concern, as halting and unsure as it sounded, undid the final chains that kept Ruby frozen. She turned and before she could second-guess herself, Ruby leaned into Weiss's shoulder and pressed her forehead against the noble's neck, feeling the thrum of the noble's pulse and the warmth of her skin on her own. Ruby's hands clutched at the sides of Weiss's shirt. She _really_ wanted to give Weiss a full-on hug, to sink into the warmth of another person for a little while and forget everything else, but remembered at the very last second that Weiss wasn't Yang. She might not want Ruby clutching at her like that. In fact, Ruby was quite sure Weiss didn’t like being touched or hugged since the noble always froze or tensed when faced with any sort of physical affection. But even this much helped.

With her face so close to Weiss's neck, Ruby couldn't help but breathe in that scent that was uniquely Weiss's. It brought back hazy, pain-wreathed memories of when they were still in the ravine after she and Weiss had fallen into the river.

After that first day in the ravine, the effects of Aura-depletion had hit Ruby hard. She had been barely cognizant of anything but the brutal agony that seemed intent on crushing every nerve in her body. It was her Aura's way of telling her in no uncertain terms that her soul was in danger. The pain was so bad that she couldn't sleep; she couldn't even hear or see properly. The pain was just too distracting.

However, one of her senses still managed to make its way through the pain: Smell. Ruby might not have been able to see Yang and Weiss or make out their hushed conversations, but she scented them often. Yang smelled like the sun, warm and full of life, while Weiss smelled lighter and airy, like the world after a snowstorm. Every so often she would smell one of them nearby and maybe even see a fuzzy blur sit down next to her. It was comforting. Even though she was stuck in her bedroll, weak and helpless, she knew she was safe as long as she was still able to scent them.

It was during that short week of recovery that Weiss's existence had subtly shifted in Ruby's mind. She was still someone Ruby needed to look out for and protect, but she also became someone whose presence brought a measure of comfort to the young Faunus. Weiss wasn't quite family like Yang, not yet, but she was no longer a stranger or someone Ruby needed to fear. _Pack_ , a voice whispered softly in the back of her mind. Yes, that sounded right. Pack. Not necessarily family, but they lived and hunted together all the same.

Ruby took another deep breath, letting Weiss's airy, snowy scent fill her lungs. She wasn't alone. Weiss was here. Weiss was someone who had watched over her when she had been vulnerable. Ruby was safe with her.

Weiss had stiffened the moment Ruby had pressed herself against her, reinforcing Ruby's belief that Weiss didn't like being touched, but the noble didn't move away. Instead, to Ruby's faint surprise, Weiss eventually brought her arms up and laid her hands loosely on Ruby's shoulders. After another moment, one of Weiss's hands moved to rest against Ruby's spine and then slowly started to rub her back in small circular motions. The movement was awkward and hesitant, like the noble hadn't received enough backrubs of comfort in her life to know the mechanics of offering one herself, but it was enough. It told Ruby that although Weiss might not like being this close to her, she would allow it, if only just this once.

Ruby released the death-grip she had on Weiss's shirt and wrapped her arms all the way around the noble's slim waist. That felt better. If Weiss was letting Ruby hug her, then the noble couldn't possibly hate her for being so pathetic. Things were going to be alright. Ruby let out one more shuddering breath and finally relaxed fully into Weiss's hold, letting the noble's heartbeat, scent, and warmth lull her back into a semblance of calm.

* * *

Yang weaved her way through the crowd of chattering, drinking customers trying to reach the corner of the bar. She sat down at the only open seat, stuffing her knapsack down on the floor between her knees to keep it out of the way. The man next to her laughed loudly at something his companion said and dropped his tankard on the counter with a dull thud.

This town was a bust. Yang had dropped by every tavern, bar, and inn to see if anyone had heard of a woman named Raven or recognized a description of her to no avail. Maybe Uncle Qrow was right. Wherever the woman was, she wasn't in Atlas and hadn't been in years. Sometimes Yang wondered why she even bothered anymore.

"Ho there, stranger. Can I getcha anything?" the barkeeper asked over the din when he caught her eye. The Harvest Festival meant even people who didn't usually frequent bars and taverns were out having a bit of fun, and it was loud.

"Something that actually tastes good? The last place served me some ale that was so bitter I swear I lost some of my curls," Yang said as she ran a hand through her thick, wavy locks as if to illustrate her point. She wasn't actually here to drink, but it'd look strange for her to sit at the bar without ordering something. Plus, the barkeeper might be more willing to chat if she was a paying customer.

The barkeeper raised an eyebrow. "You must have gone to the Sheep's Head then. They serve pig swill even on the best of days. Not really the kind of place a woman like yourself ought to be visiting." The man looked to be in his middle to late thirties with fading brown hair and muscles that spoke of years of lifting and hauling around wine, ale, and beer kegs. He turned, fetched a wooden tankard, and filled it partway. "Here. Treline's finest summer mead."

Yang accepted the drink with a word of thanks and brought the tankard to her lips. She could smell the honey in the brew and took a moment to savor it before taking a sip. She couldn't help but smile as the flavors washed over her tongue. If Ruby ever got over her aversion to alcohol, Yang was sure she'd like this. The mead was sweet but not too heavy. Its alcohol content was on the high side though; Yang would have to pace herself lest she ended up more than a little tipsy.

"That's good stuff," she said to the barkeeper with a broad grin.

The man smiled back. "O' course it is. Treline makes some mighty fine honey though we're mostly known for our wool."

"Do you get a lot of travelers down this way?"

"More than most places, but not as much as others. Why?"

Yang took another sip of her drink. "I'm looking for someone. A woman. I've been told she resembles me, but with black hair and crimson eyes. Goes by the name of Raven." She tried to sound offhand about it, but judging by the understanding look in the bartender's eyes, she wasn't sure how well she succeeded.

"Can't say I have. She family?" Nope, she hadn't succeeded at all. She must have more alcohol floating around in her system than she thought. Then again, this was probably her eighth stop tonight, and this mead was pretty strong.

"Something like that," was all Yang said in reply. She tossed a handful of copper lien on the counter. The barkeeper swept up the coins with a nod of thanks and was soon called away by another customer.

Yang took a moment to survey the room. This was one of the better bars she had visited tonight though it was packed full just like the rest of them. It was called...The Oakbarrel?—or something like that. The place was reasonably clean and its patrons were on the respectable side of society.

A coil of worry shifted in the pit of her stomach as it always did when Ruby was out of sight. The girl had been insistent that she and Weiss would be fine, but Yang still worried. But at least Ruby wasn't alone. Weiss was with her, and Yang was slowly learning that maybe there was more to Weiss than the stuck-up and entitled noble she'd seen thus far.

Watching Weiss as she hovered over Ruby's weakened form back at the ravine had been like staring into a mirror. Yang knew what she, herself, felt whenever Ruby was hurt or bedridden. Worry. Guilt. Sorrow. Frustration. Self-recrimination for not being there to protect her. And to Yang's great surprise, she saw many of the same emotions pass through Weiss's usually dispassionate, icy blue eyes as they both watched over Ruby. It was that obvious show of emotion that made Yang relent at the time and allow Weiss to help her care for her precious baby sister.

Admittedly, it was one of the hardest things Yang had ever done. Yang had to tap down hard on the part of her that always went into protective overdrive whenever Ruby was sick, sad, or hurt—the one that demanded that she keep everyone away from Ruby until she was better—not because Yang really believed that they would harm her, more because she just didn't trust anyone else enough to let them near her when she was vulnerable. But Weiss was so clearly worried about Ruby that Yang didn't have the heart to push her away. Yang knew best how bad it felt to see someone suffering and not be able to do anything to help. So in the end, Yang forced back her typical knee-jerk reaction to keep Weiss away from Ruby until the latter had recovered, and let the noble help care for her, albeit only in little ways.

And Weiss surprised her by rising to the challenge every single time. Honestly, it had been odd to see how uncharacteristically subdued the noble had become those first few days. Thankfully though, Weiss's strange mood didn't last long. As soon as Ruby started getting restless from inactivity and started testing the limits of both Yang and Weiss's patience, Weiss's fire returned as though it had never been gone in the first place. The only difference was that this fire was determined to make sure Ruby took care of herself and returned to full health, something Yang could get behind wholeheartedly.

Granted, Yang had a bit of an internal struggle the first time Weiss raised her voice at Ruby when the girl got up when she was supposed to be resting, but when it became apparent that the noble was only worried and _Ruby_ understood that Weiss was only worried, she breathed easier. She didn't like seeing Weiss snap at her little sister, but if Ruby was taking it in stride, maybe things were alright. Maybe she didn't need to get involved again just yet.

Today was a test to see how well Ruby and Weiss managed without Yang around, a test that Yang wasn't sure she would have risked if Weiss hadn't picked up that red cloak for Ruby. If Yang hadn't seen with her own eyes Weiss doing something utterly selfless for once. For the first time ever, the noble had thought of someone other than herself. Better yet, the person she was putting before herself was Ruby. Yang didn't have it in her to dislike anyone who looked after Ruby. Still, only time would tell if Weiss would stay her current course or revert to who she had been during the first half of their journey. She hoped for the former though. She was actually starting to like who Weiss was when she wasn't acting all noble-y.

Yang trained her eyes around the room again, taking note of who might be trouble and anyone who was more than a little tipsy. It was a habit that Uncle Qrow had drilled into her after he found out she was visiting the seedier areas of town to find information on Raven. He couldn't stop her so he decided to give her the tools to protect herself.

" _If you're reacting to trouble, you're already too late and the next thing you know, you might find a knife between your ribs before you can get your Aura up. I'm not saying be paranoid, but pay attention to your surroundings. If something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. Always err on the side of caution, Firecracker. It might save your life one day."_

Yang was pretty sure that wasn't one the of lessons Ruby got. The girl was horrible at reading people. Her _instincts_ were sound—Ruby could usually tell if something was not quite right—but that didn't mean she would think to do anything about it. The girl was always willing to give people the benefit of the doubt and tried to look for the best in everyone. Sometimes she was right; Weiss was a good example of that. There was clearly far more to her than Yang had thought and if Ruby hadn't been so accepting of Weiss, Yang might have never given the noble a second glance. Even so, Yang sometimes worried that one day some smiling lowlife might try to take advantage of her little sister's good nature, and Ruby would get hurt. Yang would do anything to prevent that from happening.

When Yang brought her tankard up to her lips again, she inadvertently met the eyes of a tawny-haired woman who had been having a discussion with a rather large group of people a few tables over. Yang's eyebrow rose when the woman suddenly smiled and made her way over to her. The woman wore a sensible brown skirt and an olive green blouse, and she looked to be a few years older than Yang.

"Greetings, stranger. I don't think I've seen anyone quite like you 'round these parts."

Yang ducked her head in greeting. "I'm just passing through. Heard it was the Harvest Festival and decided to have some fun."

The woman nodded, "And fun is important to living a fulfilling life. I noticed you watching our discussion. Have any interest in joining our cause?"

"I'd have to know what your cause is to be interested in it. Didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I was just watching the room, you know—people watching. Seeing what kinda people make up this town and all that."

"Ah, a worthy pastime when enjoying a good drink. No worries; I've done the same myself many a time. May I?" The woman gestured to the seat that had just opened up beside Yang.

Yang hesitated for the briefest instant before giving her a nod. She had to meet up with Ruby and Weiss soon, but she could stand to stay a few minutes longer. She had to admit she was curious to know what the meeting was about. They clearly weren't here for the drinking. Most of the members had drunk sparingly at best so something else must have brought them together.

"My comrades and I were having a send off meeting. As soon as the Harvest Festival ends, we'll be venturing out to as many towns as we can reach before the snows hit so we can share our teachings."

"Teachings?"

"Aye. We're believers of the Pure Soul. I don't suppose you've heard of us?"

Yang shook her head slowly. "Can't say that I have."

The woman nodded. "Understandable. We've only just started gaining a following." Her tone shifted to one that reminded Yang of when the Elders in Patch told teaching stories back when she was a kid. "Haven't you ever wondered why the Grimm exist? Why they only prey on humans and Faunus?"

Yang's brow furrowed. "The Grimm are drawn to strong negative emotions and while animals might feel sadness and fear, most of them don't feel them as strongly as humans and Faunus do."

The woman shook her head. "That's what the Huntsman schools teach, but it's all a lie. The Grimm are our punishment for desecrating the gift the gods gave us." When she saw Yang didn't quite follow, she added, "The gift of the soul. Our souls are sacred and meant to stay within us, but then some foolish humans and Faunus decided to take that gift and turn it into a power of destruction."

"Wait a minute, that's backwards. Humans and Faunus had to learn to unlock the power of their souls to survive against the Grimm. If they hadn't, all of us would have been wiped out by now."

"Are you sure? None of us were here back then. Who's to say some Aura-user didn't twist the truth? How else do you think the Huntsmen and Huntresses rose to the top of society as they did? Because they painted themselves as heroes to keep the rest of Remnant under their thumb.

"I'm sure you've seen how corrupt the Huntsmen are. Some of them won't lift a finger to help others unless they get paid first. The worst of them get paid and then attempt extort even more money, promising extra protection to only those who can afford it. Others act like they're entitled to free food and lodging wherever they go because they're the so-called 'heroes' of humanity.

"Aura-users are the true blight on society. It is because they defiled their gift, their souls, that the gods grew angry at humanity's arrogance and sent the Grimm to punish us. Only when all the Aura-users have repented will the Grimm leave Remnant for good."

Yang just stared at the woman in disbelief as she fervently shared her beliefs. Did she seriously believe all that?

"You've got to be joking," Yang said at last. "There are plenty of good Aura-users out there who use their powers to protect others, regardless of how much or if they even get paid."

The woman was already shaking her head. "No matter how 'good' an Aura-user seems, the truth still stands. Aura-users are people who sold their very souls for power. They're abominations."

"So what—you want to wipe out anyone who has an Aura? Because I can tell you right now, that's never going to happen."

"There's no need to go that far. As long as they repent and turn their abilities to our cause to show their sincerity, I'm sure the gods would look upon them favorably and forgive them when the time comes."

That didn't even…

First she was saying Aura-users were abominations and the next second she was saying she was more than willing to exploit their abilities to further her own agenda?

How…? What…?

Yang closed her eyes and rubbed her temple as her head started to hurt. This was what her curiosity got her. Next time she would make sure to leave well enough alone.

Luckily, Yang was saved from having to respond by the barkeeper.

The man stepped over with a scowl. "Winnie, how many times have I told you not to harass my customers? I won't stop you from coming in here for your meetings as long as you buy a drink or two, but I won't have you bothering anyone else. If you want to spread your drivel, do it elsewhere."

The woman's expression tightened, but she retained her smile. "I know, Derry. But the lady was curious." Winnie glanced back at Yang. "If you're interested in hearing more or joining our cause, we'll be having another meeting on the morrow. We'll be at Geoff's Tavern, east of the market square. Ask anyone and they'll point you in the right direction. I hope to see you there." The woman gave Yang a wave and returned to where the rest of her companions were.

Yang heaved a sigh. She gave the barkeeper, Derry, a wry smile. "Kinda wish you intervened sooner."

The man gave her a commiserating grimace. "Sorry 'bout that. She's a stubborn one."

"Does she really believe all that stuff she was saying?"

"From what I've seen? Scarily enough, yes. She's been all around these parts, talking to people and trying to persuade them to change their views."

"But you don't believe all that Pure Soul stuff," Yang noted.

Derry shook his head. "Nope and I never will. My granddad was a Huntsman before he settled down to raise my ma, and for the longest time I wanted to become one, too. Too bad I barely have enough Aura to save my face in a fist fight." He raised his hand and a pale green glow wreathed his fingers. His Aura was so faint that Yang was sure no one would be able to see it unless they were as close as she was and only if they were paying attention.

Yang gave him a nod of understanding.

He lowered his hand. "The people here have grown soft, hiding behind their thick walls, safe and protected from the Grimm. They've forgotten the sacrifices others made for them to be able to live like this, the sacrifices people like my granddad made for them. He's got scars left and right, and his leg pains him something fierce even on a good day. People like Winnie don't realize that while they're going about their everyday business in peace and comfort, there are people out there risking their lives to keep Grimm away from the cities and roads where people live and travel. If half of the people Winnie talks to spent even one day outside the walls seeing what the Riders, Huntsmen and Huntresses do, they'd change their tune real quick."

"I'm surprised you even let her in here. The things she said made my head hurt."

The man snorted. "The trick is to stop listening as soon as she gets that shiny look in her eye. That's when she starts spouting her more nonsensical stuff. 'Sides, she's got money, which is why I'm willing to let her use my place for her meetings."

"Is that kind of thinking common around here? That Aura-users are blights on society and all that?"

"Not so common. There have always been people who're uncomfortable with the idea of Auras, but Winnie's cult is among the crazier ones."

"I see. Well, thanks for the rescue."

"You're mighty welcome. Enjoy your night. Let me know if you want something else to drink."

"Will do, sir," Yang replied with a lackadaisical salute, which earned her a good-natured chuckle.

* * *

Yang had just finished the last of her mead and was getting ready to pick up her knapsack when her previous good deeds came back to haunt her. Honestly, being a good person was getting harder and harder these days.

"You, Blondie!"

Yang turned at the drunken bellow, stared flatly at the man who produced it, and just shook her head. As if sensing what was to come, the other patrons started moving out of the way.

"Don't you dare look away when I'm talking to you!" Or at least that's what Yang thought he said. It was kinda hard to tell since his words slurred in strange places.

"Trouble?" Derry, the barkeeper, had come back to Yang's side of the bar.

"Maybe," Yang said with a grimace.

The drunken man stomped over unsteadily, his face red and his eyes crazed. A couple of men that Yang vaguely recognized as his drinking buddies stood behind him, grinning like fools. They didn't look nearly as drunk as he did.

Oh. So that's what all this was about. Friend One and Two were probably bored and decided to egg Drunken Idiot on so that he'd pick a fight with Yang.

"Heard you was going 'round askin' questions at all the drinkin' places. Wasn't hard ta find ya," Drunken Idiot slurred as he swayed back and forth.

Yang sighed. "I wasn't trying to hide, but good job. You found me. Now you can leave."

It took the man a few seconds to process what she said, but when he did, he scowled. "You think you're so funny. But you're a liar. That's what you are. You told that girl lies about me an' made her change her mind."

Yang crossed her arms and gave him a hard look. "You were harassing that girl. She didn't want to go anywhere with your drunken arse, and she told you to 'let go' more than once."

Drunken Idiot snorted. "You're just jealous she's pertier than you. No one would want a bear like you when they could have a sweet li'l thing like her."

Yang drew in a long breath, counted to ten, and prayed for the patience to deal with fools. A fire was starting to burn in her belly, but she did her best to suppress it. Bringing attention to herself was the last thing she wanted to do. "Yeah. Sure. That's exactly what I was thinking." She grabbed her knapsack and swung it over her shoulder. Maybe if she got lucky, she could get out of here without a fuss.

"Gotta pay ya back for near 'bout breakin' my arm." Drunken Idiot took a swing at Yang which she easily sidestepped (again), grabbed his arm as it went by (for the second time that night), and pulled it up behind him in a painful lock (just like she had done the last time he'd come at her swinging). This time though, she didn't just murmur a warning in his ear and let him go. Instead, using the man's arm as leverage, she walked him to the doorway where his friends were and shoved him at them.

"If you want a fight, fine; I'll give you a fight, but not in here. Get outside," Yang said in a hard voice.

The man struggled to reorientate himself as his friends hauled him back to his feet, but when he did, he snarled, "You think you're so tough? Well let's see how tough you really are."

He reached into his pocket and threw something at Yang with a triumphant smirk.

Yang reacted the way Uncle Qrow had trained her to.

In less than half a second, her Aura blasted up and out towards whatever was coming her way. Something flashed and exploded in midair before the sheer strength of her Aura shoved the explosive energy away from her and back towards the man and his friends. It struck them hard, and the three of them crashed through the doors, landing somewhere out of sight. The doors swung shut, and Yang just stared. Scorch marks now marred the wooden doors, and there was an unmistakable smell of charred wood in the air.

Did that idiot really just throw a fire-Dust crystal at her while inside a building that served _alcohol_?

That was when Yang realized the entire room had fallen silent and everyone was staring at her, some in awe and others in fear.

She rubbed the back of her neck and walked back to the bar. She dropped a silver lien and a handful of coppers next to her empty tankard. "Sorry about the damage."

Derry took one look at her and shoved the silver back at her while pocketing the copper lien. "This'll be more than enough, 'specially after I get Elwood out there to pay up. With all these witnesses, I can plead for unlawful property damage before a magistrate, and they'll force him to pay for it. The damage would've been far worse if you hadn't been so quick on your feet, and someone could have gotten hurt. Thank you for that."

Yang shrugged uneasily. "It was my fault he came here in the first place."

"Naw, it wasn't. Elwood's a real piece of work. He'll pick a fight with anyone regardless of where he is." He paused. "You a Huntress?"

"Nope. Just a traveler. Thanks for the drink. I'd better check to see if those three are alright."

"Safe travels, lass. If you're ever in the area again, come back for a visit. Your first drink'll be on me."

Yang grinned at that. "Sure, if I'm in the area." She gave him a wave and headed for the door.

The woman from earlier, Winnie, waylaid her before she could get further than five steps.

"Your soul can be saved and all will be forgiven if you repent and dedicate yourself to protecting those with pure souls from those without," Winnie said, even going so far as to place her hand on Yang's arm.

Yang gently, but firmly shook the woman's hand off. "The thing is," she said in a soft voice, "I unlocked my Aura for one reason and one reason only, so I could protect my baby sister, and I'll never regret that. If loving and wanting to protect my sister damns my soul or whatever it is you and your people think'll happen to me, then I don't think I'd want your gods' forgiveness anyway. I hope you have a good night, ma'am." With that, she walked out of the building.

Once she reached the street, she checked on the idiot and his friends. They were a little singed and each of them sported a nasty looking bump on the back of their noggins, but the fire-Dust the idiot had used must have been more light than fire because otherwise they were fine. Then again, it only made sense that a man of his standing would only be able to get his hands on a fire-Dust crystal chock-full of impurities. The real stuff was expensive.

"Yang? What was that? Did something just explode?"

Yang blinked and straightened. She squinted down the street at two cloaked figures walking her way, their forms flickering in the unsteady lantern lights adorning the building fronts.

"Ruby? Prin—Snowflake?"

She remembered at the last second it probably wasn't the best idea to hint in public that Weiss might be a noble or royalty. Sure, most people would think it was a joke, but she still didn't want to take that risk. And obviously using Weiss's real name in the open like this was out.

"Ugh. _Please_ don't call me that." There was the unmistakable sound of someone sniffing. "Were you _drinking_?"

Yang winced. Uh-oh. Weiss taking that tone was never good. "Only a little? But—oof—!"

Whatever explanation she might have given and any tongue-lashing Weiss might have been about to give her was interrupted by a small, cloaked body slamming into her.

Yang's heart dropped.

"Ruby?"

The girl didn't respond. She just held onto Yang as tightly as she could.

Yang's lips pressed together as she coaxed her baby sister to let go just long enough for them to slip her knapsack off. Once it was on the ground and out of the way, Yang scooped Ruby up into her arms, one arm supporting her from underneath and the other across her shoulders. Ruby wrapped her arms around Yang's neck and pressed her face into her shoulder and hair.

Yang glanced around, noting that they were starting to draw attention. "We should get out of here. Snowflake, could you—?"

Weiss was already there, picking up Ruby's pack. "I've got it. Let's go."

They did their best to avoid the worst of the crowds, taking empty alleyways when they could, walking until Yang was sure no one had followed them. Only then did Yang call for Weiss to stop.

"Ruby?" Yang called out softly. "You alright?"

The girl nodded into her neck. Yang ran her hand up and down Ruby's back in hopes that it'd help.

"Did something happen?" Ruby stiffened in her arms but didn't attempt to sign anything.

In the end, it was Weiss who answered. "It was...a little too crowded. Too many people, too many sounds. We both decided it would be best to come find you so we could leave sooner rather than later. You said you'd be visiting all the local inns and taverns so we decided to start from the places closest to the market square and work our way outward. Luckily for us, you were in the first one we found."

That was because Yang had purposely visited the seedier places first, because those were the places Uncle Qrow admitted Raven might be more likely to visit. The establishments near the market square, the central hub of the town, were for wealthier, well-to-do folk so she'd left them for last.

"Yeah. I was getting a little tired of all the hustle and bustle myself," Yang said lightly, all the while acutely aware of Ruby's every shift in movement or hitch in breathing. "I'm ready to call it a night if you two are."

Ruby tightened her grip and nodded, just as Weiss said, "Indeed. We should go. We could all use some rest."

Weiss's voice softened ever so slightly towards the end of her sentence, and her head tilted in such a way that Yang was certain she had been speaking to Ruby and Ruby alone. That meant whatever happened couldn't have been Weiss's fault, not if she was this concerned about Ruby.

Good. Yang hadn't been looking forward to getting rough with Ruby's first sort-of friend anyway.

Yang gave Ruby a squeeze. "Alright then. Let's get outta here." She started walking, and Weiss followed, still carrying Ruby's pack for her.

Yang would ask Weiss later what happened. She could ask Ruby, but she felt like this might be one of those times where Ruby played off whatever had happened so as not to make Yang worry. For once, Yang was honestly and truly glad that Weiss had been there with her little sister, not only because it meant Ruby hadn't been alone when whatever happened happened, but also because it meant Yang would actually be able to get some answers.

Right now, though, the most important thing was to get Ruby someplace where she could relax and calm down. Everything else could wait.

With Ruby cradled in her arms and Weiss walking by her side, Yang led them all out of town, using the route she had memorized much earlier that day in case they had to leave in a hurry. Her foresight served them well for it took them only a little longer than half an hour to clear the gates and soon enough, they were back in the wilderness and heading to the place they had camped the night before.

 


	13. Teaching, Learning, Growing

"So we've never really talked about your Semblance," Yang said to Weiss, entirely out of the blue, several days after they had left Treline.

The three of them had two choices upon leaving Treline. It was still too early for animals to start hibernating, so food wasn't an issue. Having access to fresh water, however, was a different story. They could either follow the main road to be able to take advantage of Rider Waystations, all of which had one or two wells dedicated to providing water to travelers, or follow Atlas's Southwest River. The first choice meant fewer Grimm encounters thanks to Rider patrols, but more human interaction, which was a risk considering they had not one, but two people who needed to stay hidden. The Rider-patrolled roads were the safest way to get from one place to another so naturally, everyone used them.

The second choice meant they wouldn't have have to worry about people recognizing Weiss or finding out Ruby was a Faunus, but it also meant it would take them longer to get where they were going. The Southwest River (as its name implied) didn't flow directly south, which could add days, if not weeks, to their journey. Still, after a group discussion, they all agreed that staying unnoticed was more important than anything else. Traveling in the wilderness when the snows hit would be difficult but not impossible, according to Yang. Also, for some reason, Grimm didn't like the winter months any more than regular animals did, so Grimm encounters should become fewer as the temperature dropped.

The evening Yang brought up Weiss's Semblance, they were all seated around the campfire, just relaxing before heading to bed. Weiss sat on one side of the fire (one that she had finally succeeded in starting for the first time ever) while Yang and Ruby were on the other. Ruby had been whittling something out of a piece of wood she had picked up from somewhere (as she often did when she had nothing to do), but she stopped and looked up expectantly when Yang started speaking, her lupine ears twitching with interest.

Weiss blinked, searched her memories, and realized Yang was right. She, herself, had seen the sisters' Semblances in action more than once, but since her participation in the last couple battles had been brief at best, they might not have gotten a good look at her own. Well, at least the part of her Semblance that she could actually use at this point anyway. No need to mention that other part until she was certain she was actually capable of it. She pushed the thought away to focus on the present.

Weiss lifted her hand and summoned a small, glowing white, snowflake-embossed Glyph on the tip of her finger, catching both sisters' attention.

"As far as I know, every Schnee inherits the same Semblance. We can summon Glyphs that affect the world around us. You've already seen my platform Glyphs" —she spun the Glyph so that it lay horizontally above palm of her hand like a saucer— "and if I summon it vertically, it becomes a shield." The Glyph flipped and expanded, forming a translucent wall between her and the fire.

Weiss gave Yang a nod, and the golden-haired woman tossed a piece of firewood at her. The chunk of firewood bounced off her Glyph and landed in the fire, sending a small flurry of sparks into the air.

Weiss dispelled the Glyph. "I can also use my Glyphs to accelerate and propel myself forward a certain distance. And if I have Dust, I can alter the properties of my Glyphs and do even more."

"Oh?" Yang said, perking up. "Hey, Ruby—"

But the girl had already jumped to her feet and was rummaging through her pack for something. After a moment, she pulled out a soft leather pouch, which she promptly handed to Weiss, before plopping herself down next to the noble.

Weiss shot the girl a curious look before taking the pouch. She opened it and saw a handful of Dust vials, each carefully nestled in a wool-padded pocket for protection. Her mouth dropped open.

"Where did you get these?" Weiss asked as she picked through them. Two fire Dust vials, one water Dust, three ice Dust, and one lightning Dust vial.

"Uncle Qrow gives them to us once in a while," Yang said. "The fire Dust is for emergencies when we need to make a fire quickly and for whatever reason or another, I'm not able to. And Ruby uses the ice Dust to keep meat from spoiling when she's out hunting. The rest he gave to Ruby to play around with, but neither of us have found a good use for them yet, or at least, I haven't." She glanced at her little sister, but the girl didn't notice.

"Who exactly is your uncle, anyway? Dust of this quality is hardly cheap." Weiss could tell by the way the grains glittered in the light that she was holding purified, highly refined Dust in her hands. It was one of the only "unladylike" lessons her father never skimped on. It was vital for her to know as much about Dust as she could to ensure she would be useful, first as the heiress; and later when she lost that title, it was so she would be a valuable and desirable game piece in alliance negotiations.

Yang shrugged. "He's just our Uncle Qrow, Rider and ex-Huntsman. I don't know much more than that, and I've never bothered asking. He travels a lot, though, and knows all sorts of people. Maybe he knows someone who has access to lots of Dust. Anyway, enough of that. Come on! Show us what you can do!"

Weiss rolled her eyes before picking up one of the vials of ice Dust. She uncorked it, poured less than a pinch of it into the palm of her hand, drew the Dust from her palm through her Aura, and activated her Semblance. There was a soft whooshing sound, like the wind whistling through the mountains, and a sharp crack as a small ice shard erupted out of the Glyph she had summoned over her palm. Weiss dispelled the Glyph, caught the shard of ice, and placed it in Ruby's outstretched hands. She couldn't help but feel a rush of pleasure and pride as she took in Ruby's awestruck eyes and the way the girl's tail beat the air with a rapid thwup-thwup-thwup sound. Ruby jumped up to show the crystal to Yang, a wide grin stretching across her face.

Yang whistled, impressed, as she took the shard from Ruby. "Neat. Maybe you should be the one to hold onto our Dust stores."

"What?" Weiss froze just as she was about to put the ice Dust vial away.

"How about it, Ruby? Do you mind if we give our Dust to Weiss?"

The girl shook her head.

"But it belongs to you two! And it's expensive! Why would you—"

"Because," Yang interrupted, "neither of us really have any use for it, and the loom does no one any good in the henhouse."

Weiss stopped short, her brow furrowing in confusion. "What does that even mean?"

This time Yang rolled her eyes. "It means, 'don't put something in a place where it can't be used when it's needed.' Like putting a loom in a henhouse.

"I don't use Dust at all, and Ruby really only uses it when messing around and tinkering. Except for the ice Dust, I guess, but she doesn't need to keep whatever she hunts fresh for days like she did in Patch since we eat whatever she catches right away. If you can use Dust, then it only makes sense for you to hang onto it. And who knows? One day we might get into a jam, and we might need your Dust skills to get out of it. So just hang onto it, alright? And if you ever need to use it, use it."

Ruby nodded her head in agreement and made some hand motion that Weiss could only assume was yet another entreaty for her to keep the Dust.

Weiss stayed quiet for a moment, thinking, until finally she said, "Alright. But if I use any of it, I promise to pay you back someday."

"Sure, whatever you say, Princess." Yang blinked and then a smirk crossed her face. "You know what, I'm gonna start calling you Ice Queen from now on."

Weiss stiffened. "Please don't."

"Too late. It's happening. Really, you should have told us about the ice Dust thing sooner. 'Ice Queen' suits you much better than 'Princess'."

Weiss couldn't help it. She let out a very unladylike groan to which Yang snickered. Ruby's tail started stirring up the air again as she looked between Weiss and Yang, grinning happily for some reason.

 _Well, at least one of us is amused_ , Weiss thought grouchily, but the mood didn't last long—not when it was so glaringly obvious that Yang was just teasing her and Ruby was, well, being Ruby.

Honestly, Weiss was glad to see it, and some of the tension she didn't even realize she felt bled away. She'd been noticing more and more that Ruby had that effect on her, though she hadn't quite pinpointed why just yet.

Ever since the three of them had left Treline, Ruby had been subdued as though she had a dark cloud lingering over her. The girl tried to hide it, but both Yang and Weiss could tell something was off. Her smiles were somehow less bright, her lupine ears slower to perk up, and her tail's wagging was half-hearted at best. The girl's mood had only picked up after she had finished washing, trimming, and resewing the hem on her new crimson cloak.

And, Weiss supposed, after Yang had stepped in.

The first thing Yang did was produce a beautifully wrought cloak pin, seemingly out of nowhere, to go with Ruby's new cloak—her gift for her little sister's sixteenth birthday. Weiss had to grudgingly admit that it was a lovely piece of metalwork. The cloak pin had been forged to look like a twisting vine that sprouted a lifelike silver leaf on one end and bloomed into a silver rose on the other. Yang had apparently won it in an arm wrestling contest with a metalsmith at one of the bars she had visited while they were in Treline.

If a part of Weiss felt grumpy for possibly being shown up, she stubbornly ignored it. It wasn't like they were competing for Ruby's…something. Goodwill? Happiness? No, neither of those sounded quite right. Weiss frowned, trying to figure out what exactly she was feeling but to no avail, forcing her to put it aside for another day.

The other thing Yang did was lift Ruby's running and hunting ban, though she kept the scouting ban in place for now. The girl had definitely perked up then and the next day, she pinned her new cloak on, grabbed her bow and arrows, and darted away as soon as they were on the road to try to catch something for that night's supper. As soon as the girl was gone, Yang told Weiss that the exercise would help Ruby recenter herself. Weiss, in turn, confided to Yang what had happened in Treline now that Ruby was finally out of an earshot. The older woman had patted her shoulder in thanks before walking on ahead.

All that had happened a day ago.

Today, their routine had shifted at Weiss's behest. If Weiss was going to get any stronger, she had to learn to use her Semblance more effectively, and she hoped the sisters would be able to help her since they were obviously comfortable and well-practiced with their own. Yang and Ruby were quick to agree so they decided to start setting up camp earlier to give them more time in the evenings to train Weiss.

Now she was starting to regret asking them for help.

"You want me to do what?" Weiss asked incredulously.

Yang repeated patiently, "Your goal is to score a hit on Ruby."

"You want me to attack your sister," Weiss stated flatly.

"Yep!"

Weiss glanced at Ruby who didn't seem even remotely worried at the prospect of getting run through by a rapier.

"That sounds like a horrible idea."

Yang's eyebrow quirked up. "You've never sparred against a person before?"

"Of course I have! But…" But this was different. This was Ruby. What if she hurt her?

"Look, Ice Queen—"

"Don't call me that!"

Yang ignored her as always. "—I promise you Ruby can handle anything you can dish out. She's fast with great reflexes, she's smart, she's got good instincts, and she was hand-trained by our Uncle Qrow."

"You say that as if it's supposed to mean something," Weiss said with a frown.

"It does. Our Uncle Qrow isn't above playing dirty when the situation calls for it. He'll pull out a knife in a fist fight and throw punches and kicks in a swordfight, and he trained Ruby to do the same. Thankfully, she's never had to go that far in a real fight, but it still means that she's hard to catch off-guard while still being unpredictable herself."

Weiss just stared at the older woman uncertainly.

Yang was surprisingly methodical when it came to training and decided to have Weiss undergo a series of basic skills tests to see what she could do and what she already knew. The first few tests had been relatively easy.

Ruby had sacrificed some of their dried beans and one of their towels to make some bean-filled sacks at Yang's request, and the two of them took turns throwing them at Weiss at varying speeds to see how quickly and accurately she could put up her defensive Glyphs. Weiss was quick enough, but wasted Aura by making her Glyphs larger than they had to be because she worried too much about missing the beanbag and getting hit. Yang told Weiss straight out that since she didn't have as much Aura as the sisters, she had to be more efficient in how she expended it. That meant working on her accuracy and precision so that she could do the same thing with a smaller Glyph. They also had her throw up defensive Glyphs while moving, either walking or running, and it was clear to all of them that she was going to need a lot more practice with the latter.

Yang then tested the strength of Weiss's Glyphs by throwing out a series of increasingly powerful Aura-laden punches against them, but she said the test wasn't very useful. Just because Weiss could throw up a powerful defensive Glyph now, didn't mean she'd be able to do the same thing in the heat of battle when she might be unprepared or distracted.

They also tested her acceleration abilities. Yang had gone around the field they were using for training and burned several circles into the grass using her Semblance. Somehow the woman had enough control to avoid setting the entire field of drying autumn grass on fire while she did so. It was quite impressive.

Ruby showed she was equally impressive. When they had Weiss use her acceleration Glyphs to dart from one circle to another at random, she soon realized that it was much harder to stop exactly where she wanted when moving at such high speeds. She was always off by several feet, either because she stopped too soon or too late. How much training and practice had Ruby gone through to be able to use her speed Semblance so masterfully?

The answer was apparently quite a lot. Much to Ruby's obvious dismay and mortification, Yang regaled Weiss with stories of Ruby tripping over her own feet and running headfirst into trees and walls when she was first trying to get used to her Semblance. It made Weiss feel slightly better, and she wondered for a moment if Yang had intentionally shared the tales for that very reason, to cheer up an increasingly frustrated Weiss.

"Look," Yang said at last, "if it makes you feel better, we'll change this to a game of tag. But really, there's nothing to worry about as long as you two keep your defensive Auras up. And you know you can always blunt the edge of your blade with Aura so that it can't cut or stab anything if you're really worried."

Weiss did know, but she still didn't want to point her blade at Ruby, Aura-blunted or not. "Tag?" she asked, not recognizing the game.

Yang just stared at her. "We really need to start teaching you games and how to have fun, Ice Queen—"

"—please stop calling me that."

"Tag is a simple game where one person is 'it' and has to try to tag or touch the other players. There are different versions of the game, but most common one is the one where the first person who gets tagged becomes the new 'it' and the game starts over. This time however, the game'll end once you manage to tag Ruby. If you managed to tag her, that is."

That conversation had ended a while ago, long enough ago that Yang had moved away to start cooking supper.

"Ruby...get...back here!" Weiss gasped out, fighting to catch her breath, as Ruby slipped away from her outstretched hand yet again. The girl wasn't even using her Semblance!

"Uh, Weiss? The point of the game is for her _not_ to get caught," Yang commented from the sidelines as she tossed some shredded amaranth leaves and stalks into the pot simmering over the fire. Weiss's stomach growled fiercely at the smell of food—rabbit soup if the rabbit Ruby had brought back to camp earlier was any indication. "The faster you tag Ruby, the sooner we can eat," the woman added unhelpfully.

"Well, if she would just hold still for a moment—!" Weiss summoned an acceleration Glyph to dart at the red cloaked girl, only for her to sidestep, and Weiss ended up half a field away from her. Weiss collapsed where she stood, her legs no longer wanting to support her and her lungs begging for air.

She lay there gasping, staring up at the cloud-dotted sky, wondering what she had done wrong in life for her to end up here, participating in this torture. Yang said that this "tag" was some sort of game? Weiss wanted to find the fool who had invented it, give them a piece of her mind, and perhaps even introduce them to the business end of her rapier.

"Hey, don't do that." Yang appeared out of nowhere, bent down, and pulled Weiss back to her feet as though she weighed nothing. "Walk around. It's better for your muscles." Yang handed her a canteen which Weiss started drinking from greedily. Yang gave her a minute but soon nudged her, reminding her to keep moving. She did so reluctantly, her legs wobbling with every step.

Yang ambled alongside her. When Weiss thought to check, she saw Ruby had traded places with Yang and was now stirring the pot.

"You're being too straightforward," Yang said without preamble. "You're never going to catch Ruby if you don't change things up from time to time. You've got more than just your acceleration Glyphs. Why aren't you using them?"

Weiss blinked. "Wouldn't that be cheating since Ruby doesn't have anything but her speed Semblance?"

Yang was already shaking her head. "Did I ever say you couldn't use them?"

"Well no, but…"

"That's right. Think about it; if Ruby was a Grimm or someone who was after you, would you be worried about rules? It doesn't matter how you manage it. You just need to tag her once, and you're done. Obviously facing her head on isn't working, so what else can you do? How can you use what you know to get what you want?"

Weiss frowned, thinking.

"Here's a hint. One of the things Uncle Qrow always told us growing up is that combat is a lot more than learning how to throw a punch or swing a sword. It's about reading your opponent, thinking and adapting as needed, and trying to stay several steps ahead of them. People like patterns and once they find one that works, they tend to stick to it. You've been going at Ruby the same way all this time, and she's been mostly reacting the same way. Now, how can you take advantage of that?"

With that, Yang called Ruby back out to the field, and Weiss once again found herself facing the red cloaked girl.

_Patterns…_

This time Weiss focused less on managing her Semblance and more on Ruby's reactions, and she realized Yang was right. Ruby had a tendency to dodge to the left—well, her right and Weiss's left—whenever Weiss tried using her acceleration Glyphs.

_Yang said I could use my Semblance to its fullest. Let's see if I can catch Ruby unawares._

Weiss ran towards Ruby and when she was nearly six feet away, she pretended to create an acceleration Glyph—when in actuality, it was a simple platform Glyph—both as a distraction and an attempt to fool the other girl. At the same time, she threw up three defensive Glyphs around Ruby to box her in so she couldn't dodge.

_Almost there...only three feet left...two feet..._

Weiss allowed her lips to curve up triumphantly as she drew close enough to see the surprise in Ruby's eyes. Then Weiss's triumph abruptly died when the girl suddenly grinned.

Weiss watched in shock as the agile girl leapt from the ground to the defensive Glyph on her right, kicked off it, and used the momentum to clear the top of the Glyph on her left, effectively freeing herself before Weiss could reach her. It was like watching a squirrel leaping from one tree trunk to another. Wasn't Ruby supposed to be a wolf Faunus? Wolves shouldn't be able to do that!

Weiss hurriedly dispelled her wall-like Glyphs before she accidentally collided with them and turned to face her opponent yet again. Her eyes narrowed. Ruby was bouncing excitedly on the balls of her feet with that wide grin still on her face.

Was she... _gloating_?

It didn't seem in character for her, but Weiss didn't know how else to explain why the girl was suddenly so happy. Her jaw tightened at the thought, and she squared her shoulders. She would tag Ruby even if it took all evening.

Weiss launched herself forward with an actual acceleration Glyph, noting that the girl sidestepped left again.

Ruby's movements were always beautifully efficient. She always moved just enough to get clear and no more, and now that Weiss was actually paying attention, she recognized the sidestep as the one Ruby had used against a Beowolf once. It had risen on its hind legs to bash her with its powerful forelimbs; Ruby had dodged and in the same movement, left a deep gash across the creature's stomach, practically eviscerating it. Then the girl had blown past the beast to face off against another opponent.

Sidestep (or dodge), strike, and reposition. That was Ruby's basic style of fighting, and it was extremely effective for facing off against multiple opponents. Or even against a noble whose fighting style was decidedly linear. Weiss paled upon realizing that if Ruby had her sword, the noble would have been sliced to ribbons by now if the girl had managed to land a hit every time Weiss missed her.

Weiss pushed that thought away. It wasn't useful at the moment though it did prove to her that Yang was right about her straightforwardness in battle. It was yet another thing she would have to work on.

Weiss eyed Ruby as she tried to catch her breath.

Her Glyph trap might have worked if the girl hadn't proven herself to be part squirrel. Weiss was certain that if her opponent had been anyone else, she would have been able to get that tag. And at the very least, Ruby had been caught off-guard, if only for a moment.

Weiss remembered how Ruby had launched herself off Weiss's Glyphs, and a plan started forming in the back of her mind. She took a deep breath. Her timing and aim would have to be perfect, and she wouldn't get a second chance.

The noble threw herself forward, summoning defensive Glyphs at random, creating obstacles just to keep Ruby on her toes. The girl nimbly danced around every one, but it was clear she was paying more attention now. Good. Weiss kept it up for another seven seconds before finally executing her plan.

When it was time, Weiss summoned one last acceleration Glyph and blasted forward. Ruby dodged left, as expected, but Weiss was already executing the second part of her strategy. She summoned a defensive Glyph in front of her, used her Aura to help her flip in the air so that she landed on it feet first, and kicked off it like Ruby had done earlier, planning to catch the girl from behind.

The good news was that it worked.

The bad news was that Weiss used a little too much Aura to boost her kick, so she ended up slamming into Ruby with a full-body tackle. A painful "oof" made its way out of Weiss as she caught Ruby in the side, and the two of them hit the ground, tumbling head over heels.

Weiss found herself face up, staring up at the darkening sky, her head spinning. _Next time I need to think of a proper landing strategy before launching myself like that_ , Weiss thought dizzily as she struggled to sit up straight.

Then a surge of worry washed over her. She hadn't meant to hit Ruby that hard! "Ruby?"

Weiss glanced around frantically and found Ruby several feet away, lying on her back. Weiss pushed herself to her knees and then her feet, just as Ruby sat up. The noble blinked in surprise.

Why was Ruby smiling? And the girl's tail was wagging.

Weiss flinched as Ruby bounced up from the ground in one smooth motion like she hadn't just been slammed into with an Aura-boosted tackle, and suddenly grabbed Weiss by the hands, spinning her around like one of those springtime dances Weiss had seen painted on the walls in one of the sitting rooms at another noble's manor.

"Good job, Weiss!" Yang said as she walked up to them with a wide smile on her face. "You did it!"

Weiss's mouth fell open in astonishment. She had just sent Ruby, the woman's precious little sister, sprawling and Yang was telling her that she did a good job?

Yang, of course, had already turned her attention to Ruby. The older sister ruffled Ruby's hair affectionately. "She got you good, didn't she? Maybe you're losing your edge."

Ruby pouted up at Yang for a moment, her hands flying as she signed some sort of message, before she stuck her tongue out at her sister playfully. Her tail hadn't stopped wagging in the slightest.

It took Weiss several seconds to fully process Yang's words. Then she looked from Ruby's bubbly demeanor to Yang's grin, and suddenly it hit her. Ruby hadn't been gloating earlier. She'd simply been excited. She'd been happy that Weiss was trying new approaches—that Weiss wasn't giving up. It had never been about winning or losing. It had been about watching Weiss try to succeed. Even Yang was pleased with Weiss's success.

Both sisters had been cheering for her all along.

A strange warmth filled Weiss's chest and her eyes stung slightly. She hadn't felt this cared for since Klein had been forced to leave the castle and Winter had left with General Ironwood to get away from their father.

What was even more disconcerting? These two sisters had no obligation to care for Weiss. Neither of them were a blood relative or an employed servant, and yet they still took pleasure in Weiss's success. They were _proud_ of her. They didn't look at how long it had taken for her to succeed or all the times she had failed that evening like her father would have; all they cared about was that she did succeed in the end, and that was all that mattered to them.

It was so... _nice_.

"Hey, you alright there?" Yang voice broke into her thoughts.

"Yes...o-of course. I'm fine." Weiss did her best to hide slight tremor in her words, but she wasn't sure how well she succeeded.

Ruby's tail had finally slowed, and her lupine ears sank as she looked on, her concern clear.

"Really. I'm fine." Weiss straightened her shoulders and lifted her head to prove it. "Next time, I'll do even better."

That did the trick, and Ruby's tail picked up again. The girl nodded, smiling, and gave her a thumbs up.

"Of course you will," Yang said. "After all, you've got one of the best combat instructors helping you out. Used to help Uncle Qrow work with the Riders all the time to keep them sharp."

Weiss couldn't help it. She snorted. "Of course. And she's humble as well."

Yang grinned, unabashedly. "Yep! Now, come on. Let's eat." Yang turned and headed back to their camp, presumably to start dishing their meal out.

Ruby remained with Weiss, her head tilting to the side questioningly. By now, Weiss knew what the girl was asking. _Ready to go?_

Weiss gestured for her to lead the way, and together they headed for the river to get cleaned up before supper.

* * *

_Alright, Weiss. Today's the day. You're going to do it. You're going to ask her._

Weiss fought the urge to start pacing again as she tried to figure out just how she should approach finally offering to teach Ruby to read and write. It shouldn't even be this difficult and yet somehow, it was.

The three of them had settled into a new routine after that first evening of Weiss's Semblance and combat training. They traded off. If Weiss and Ruby were training together, then Yang was on camp duty. If Yang and Ruby were training, then it was up to Weiss to set up camp, build the campfire, and cook supper. Every fourth day, they took a break from group training to either work on their individual skills or rest, depending on how they felt that day.

Yang turned out to be a wonderfully patient teacher. Better yet, she didn't treat Weiss like she was an idiot, unlike some of her former instructors who felt a girl didn't belong on the battlefield. She gave Weiss the tools and hints she needed to succeed, and let her figure things out on her own instead of treating her like she couldn't think.

That first game of tag with Ruby, for instance. Yes, it had been an exercise to show Weiss the strengths and weaknesses of her Glyphs, but it had also been so much more. It had been a lesson on thinking outside the box—of not giving up even when things didn't seem to be working—something Weiss hadn't realized until later that night when she started reflecting on everything.

Better yet, Yang was surprisingly creative in keeping training sessions fresh, always changing things, forcing everyone to practice a new or different skill-set so that none of them got complacent. Many of her ideas had seemed silly or pointless at first, but as time went on, Weiss slowly started to see the practical applications of their training sessions.

For instance, one time Yang had Weiss tie a ribbon around her arm and her goal was to protect it. She could use her Semblance (excluding her platform Glyphs) but no weapons, simulating being in one of the larger, more populated cities, many of which had stricter weapon bearing laws. (Weiss's home city, for example, disallowed the bearing of arms within the city unless one was a noble, was part of local law enforcement, had a Huntsman or Huntress license, or had paid for a temporary permit. A small dagger or eating knife was fine, but any commoner or merchant caught carrying anything larger without a permit faced fines and possible jail-time.)

That exercise had been difficult. Weiss had managed to fend off Yang most of the time by using her greater agility to stay just out of reach, but Ruby was able to get the ribbon every single time. The girl was just too fast, even without her Semblance.

Another time, Yang had Weiss create platform Glyphs so each of the sisters could get used to running across them and leaping from one platform to another. Then she had Weiss start throwing the beanbags at them while still maintaining her Glyphs. The sisters, in turn, had to catch the beanbags and toss them back without losing momentum. Weiss could only imagine the kind of future combat strategies the three of them could pull off once they mastered the skills of that particular training exercise.

Once again, Weiss was forced to see Yang with new eyes. For all her teasing and irreverence, there was far more to Yang than Weiss would have ever thought. It was no wonder that Ruby was so attached to her older sister. One would have to be blind not to see how much time and thinking Yang put into their training sessions—how much effort she was putting into trying to give them the skills to keep themselves and each other safe—how much she simply cared for all of them, even Weiss.

Even if it wasn't a group training day for Yang, she still kept an eye on Weiss and Ruby from afar, giving them advice whenever they seemed to be struggling. Well, whenever Weiss seemed to be struggling. As far as Weiss could tell, there wasn't much for Ruby to work on outside of her hand-to-hand combat skills. Weiss still couldn't believe how nearly all of Ruby's skill and grace just vanished whenever Yang took away her weapons. It made Weiss feel better, knowing that even someone as skilled as Ruby wasn't perfect. That was the thought that reminded her of what Yang had said to her back at the ravine.

_"You know what might help?...Basically, your problem is that all you can see are all the things she can do that you can't, right? So why don't you teach her something you can do but she can't? That way you can feel like you're on equal-footing...Ruby doesn't know how to read and write...I think she'd be happy if you offered to teach her."_

It had been a great idea, except Weiss had kept putting it off. First, it was because Ruby had been bedridden and unable to move. Then, both Weiss and Yang wanted the girl to focus on her health and recovering. After that, their visit to Treline happened, and then more recently, their organized group training sessions had started up.

Life had been one thing after another and on top of all that, Weiss was still working on improving her attitude. She was getting better, she thought, but there was no way she would have been able to shed a lifetime of always assuming the worst of people in only a few short weeks. She still had moments like during that first game of tag where her mind betrayed her and automatically made her think the worst, no matter how hard she tried not to.

And yet the sisters were so _patient_ with her, even with her occasional lapses in attitude. She didn't deserve it at all.

Teaching Ruby to read and write would be a way to pay at least one of the sisters back, but now that Weiss was about to make the offer, she was second-guessing herself again. What if she was a horrible teacher? She knew best just how impatient she could be. And would Ruby even be interested? If she wasn't, what then? Or what if she only agreed for the sake of humoring Weiss?

 _That's enough_ , Weiss ordered herself before she got caught in the never-ending spiral of what-ifs.

She took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and forced herself to walk in the direction she had seen Ruby wander off in only moments before. It was time to stop stalling and just get this over with, regardless of the outcome. Offer first, and then worry about everything else. If she didn't do it today, it would be another three days before they had a day off from training, and Ruby might be busy then. Weiss had to ask now while they were still settling into their new routines to ensure Ruby set aside a block of time strictly for reading and writing. Otherwise, it'd be impossible to catch the girl, due to her penchant for wandering in and out of camp without warning.

Checking the perimeter, Yang called it, though later she explained it was a habit born of Ruby's nervousness from being around strangers. Their uncle, Qrow, had given Ruby the task of "checking the perimeter," not only because her Faunus senses ensured she'd be able to pick up on any unusual activity around the campsite even in the dark of night, but also because it gave her an excuse to leave camp whenever people (usually their employers or a group of Riders) got to be a little too much for her. More importantly, it allowed Ruby to get away without advertising just how nervous other people made her. Not all of their employers had been upstanding people, Yang told Weiss with a dark look in her eyes, and some of them would have had no qualms with taking advantage of a young girl's timid nature had they known about it. Weiss had felt her own flush of anger towards those miscreants upon hearing Yang's words, and had been more than a little relieved to know Yang and the sisters' uncle had been exceedingly vigilant to ensure none of them ever got anywhere near Ruby.

Weiss ended up finding Ruby about two slopes away. Normally, she'd say "two hills away" but these two particular inclines weren't quite steep enough to be considered hills. The girl was seated on the far side of the second grassy slope, focusing on something in her lap.

Curiosity got the better of Weiss, and she found herself asking, "What are you doing?"

Ruby jumped, clearly not expecting company. Weiss counted it as a victory. Ruby had started teaching her how to move quietly, even through thick vegetation, and Weiss had been practicing a little each day as they traveled. (She pointedly ignored the fact that the wind was blowing towards her, and therefore had carried any sounds she might have made away from Ruby rather than towards her.)

Ruby glanced over her shoulder, and Weiss blinked, her brow furrowing ever so slightly. The girl's cheeks were rosier than usual and her lupine ears were folded down. She was...embarrassed? Why? What happened?

Weiss moved forward slowly, giving Ruby ample time to move away if she chose. She didn't. "What's wrong?" Weiss asked, doing her best to keep her voice soft and gentle.

Ruby's lupine ears flicked back and forth in indecision before she gave Weiss an embarrassed smile and patted the ground next to her. Weiss took the hint and sat down. Now that she was beside the girl rather than behind her, she noticed Ruby's tail was in her lap.

What was she…? Oh.

The corner of Weiss's mouth turned up before she could stop it, earning her a pair of flattened wolf ears and a pout from the small girl next to her. Her smile only widened at the sight. She couldn't help it. She was just so... _tickled_.

Ruby's beautiful, darkly furred tail was covered with burs and the occasional dried leaf or twig—gifts from the last patch of thick vegetation the three of them had waded through earlier. Apparently, Ruby had come out here to comb out her tail and pick the burs out.

Weiss couldn't hold her mirth back any longer. A soft snort of laughter escaped her, which was met with yet another, much deeper pout and a darker blush.

"Sorry, sorry," she said, still chuckling, "I'm not trying to make fun of you. It's just—"

She expected such things to happen to a pet dog or cat, not a girl. It made the fact Ruby was a Faunus seem so utterly mundane—seeing that having animal traits, regardless of the keener senses that came with them, might have practical complications like a tail picking up burs.

Ruby surprised Weiss by sticking her tongue out at her, surprising another laugh out of the noble. Oh Dust—she had needed that. A few seconds of unrestrained laughter and suddenly, Weiss felt so much lighter.

Ruby's subsequent grin could only be classified as impish, as if the girl had purposely tried to make Weiss laugh. Then again, maybe she had. Despite all the horrible things that had happened to her and the issues she still dealt with, the girl was always most cheerful after seeing Yang or even Weiss, herself, smile or laugh.

It was such a foreign concept to Weiss—taking such obvious pleasure in another person's happiness. To do so in her former life had been dangerous. Her father had spies everywhere, and he was always on the lookout for new ways to manipulate people into doing his bidding. Even Winter and Klein had to be careful in public, only showing Weiss affection when they could be sure no one was watching or listening in, and as much as she hated it, Weiss had been forced to do the same.

Reassured that Ruby wasn't actually upset at Weiss for laughing, Weiss extended a hand. "May I help?" (Her offer had, in no way, anything to do with her wanting to finally assuage her curiosity and run her fingers through that silky looking fur.)

A look of surprise crossed Ruby's face before she nodded. She scooted forward a bit and flopped her tail into Weiss's lap. Then she grabbed the bottom of her crimson cloak, and Weiss saw that it, too, had gathered its fair share of burs, leaves and other plant matter. Weiss briefly watched as Ruby diligently began picking every leaf, twig, and thorny seed pod out of the cloth, taking care not to damage the weave as she did so. Only then did Weiss turn her attention to the fluffy tail before her.

It was so _warm_ , like someone had draped a toasty blanket over Weiss's lap. She took a moment to assess where the worst of the burs were and soon began her own task, doing her best not to tug too hard lest she hurt Ruby. Weiss may or may not have spent a few seconds every once in a while just combing her fingers through that beautiful fur. She couldn't help it. It really did feel as silky as it looked, and it was just so soft and warm. And Ruby didn't seem to mind at all. If anything, she seemed to be enjoying the attention, judging by the look of contentment on her face. It was very similar to the one Ruby got when Yang ran her fingers through her little sister's hair or rubbed her wolf ears.

Alas, all good things had to come to an end, and Weiss eventually ran out of burs to remove. Still, she didn't make any attempt to move Ruby's tail from her lap and when Ruby didn't pull it away, Weiss continued running her fingers through the fur, choosing to enjoy the moment for as long as it lasted. Who knew if she'd ever get a second chance, after all.

A companionable silence fell upon the two of them as Ruby continued to work.

At last, Ruby picked the last leaf from her cloak and straightened the garment so that it fanned out behind her like it was supposed to. Then, she turned to Weiss and did something Weiss couldn't have prepared herself for in a hundred years.

Ruby gave her a shy smile, leaned forward, and _nuzzled_ Weiss's shoulder with her cheek.

Weiss sat frozen in shock as a strange sense of warmth immediately started spreading from that brief point of contact to her chest, and then to her face. She suspected that her cheeks were turning pink, if not altogether red.

Ruby was still smiling when she pulled away, but her smile quickly faded and her lupine ears began to droop when she saw Weiss's face.

_Oh._

Weiss tried to school her expression, but it didn't seem to help. Ruby was shrinking back into herself, and uncertainty rapidly crept into the smaller girl's face and body language. Ruby's dimming expression made Weiss feel as though someone had put out the sun, leaving a cold chill in its place, and she found that she didn't like it at all.

_You're the one who didn't want Ruby to ever have to hold back or hide herself away around you. Do something!_

Weiss gave herself a hard mental shake and choked out the first thing that came to mind. "You're welcome."

She didn't know how or why, but for some reason she felt that the intimate gesture Ruby had given her—that _nuzzle_ —had been a simple yet emphatic message: _Thank you_. Why helping the girl comb out her tail had elicited such a powerful display of gratitude, Weiss didn't know, but judging by the way Ruby's wolf ears lifted at her words, Weiss must have guessed correctly. She had to capitalize on this.

Awkwardly, she fumbled for Ruby's hand and gave it a squeeze like Ruby had done for her so many times before. "Really. It's fine. In fact, if you ever need any assistance again in the future for this sort of thing, I'd be more than willing to help."

Ruby's tail slowly started waving back and forth, and her face brightened a bit. The noble gave an internal sigh of relief that she'd managed to prevent Ruby from pulling back and closing herself off.

But she wasn't done yet. Ruby's lupine ears were still at half-mast so Weiss knew she needed to give the girl one last push—one last show of sincerity to quell any lingering insecurities.

_Think, Weiss! Think!_

The memory of watching Yang, time and time again, ruffling her little sister's hair and rubbing those wolf ears of hers, and seeing the girl's comforted expression afterwards flashed through Weiss's mind.

Touch. Physical contact.

Ruby couldn't speak so maybe that was why she was so...so physically affectionate. She couldn't use words to express herself so perhaps she tried to make up for it through touch? And if touch was one of the ways she communicated, then it only made sense why she seemed to take so much comfort and pleasure whenever someone offered physical affection back.

_Maybe…_

Hesitantly, Weiss lifted her hand and started to extend it towards Ruby's head, but her doubts caused her to stop short. What if her hypothesis was wrong? What if Ruby only accepted such intimate gestures from her beloved older sister and no one else? What if...

_—Bump._

While Weiss had been caught in indecision, Ruby took the decision away from her. Ruby leaned forward, closing the last of the distance between Weiss's hand and her head, and bumped Weiss's palm with the top of her head. Weiss couldn't help but think of a puppy nudging someone's hand, asking to be petted. Still, Ruby wasn't a puppy, her lupine Faunus traits notwithstanding. Weiss had to be sure.

"...May I?"

Ruby nodded, her silver eyes as soft and open as ever.

So Weiss gave into the other urge she'd had more than once since discovering the girl's Faunus traits and gently stroked Ruby's wolf ears. The girl's eyes closed in pleasure, and her tail started thumping the ground rapidly enough that Weiss could feel the vibrations. Ruby's reaction sent a wave of warmth and wonder through Weiss. Wonder that anyone would...well... _enjoy_ Weiss's company and awkward affection.

Ruby's lupine ears turned out to be incredibly warm and were even softer than her tail. _They might even be softer than velvet_ , Weiss mused.

Weiss allowed herself to enjoy the sensation for a moment longer than necessary, mostly because she was almost certain Ruby wouldn't mind, before finally pulling away. Ruby opened her eyes and smiled as widely as ever. Her tail flicked rapidly from side to side, putting any of Weiss's lingering fears to rest.

"Thank you," Weiss said. She couldn't quite hold back the smile on her own face. Then she took a deep breath, belatedly remembering her original objective and why she was here. A rush of nerves returned. "I actually came out here to speak to you about something."

Ruby tilted her head questioningly.

"A while ago Yang...she...mentioned to me that you don't know how to read or write, and...well...I was wondering if perhaps you were interested in learning." There. She finally said it.

Weiss glanced nervously at Ruby, only to see the girl's eyes widen and her mouth part in surprise.

Then the girl nodded. Once. Twice. And then she kept nodding, a smile spreading across her face, stretching from ear to ear.

Weiss let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding. She straightened, trying to get her bearings back. "Alright then. We'll start as soon as you're ready. Perhaps...tonight?"

Another ecstatic nod and Ruby suddenly jumped to her feet. Unfortunately, she seemed to have forgotten that she had been seated on a slope and nearly slipped and tumbled to the bottom.

"Be careful!" Weiss screeched out as she quickly reached up to help steady the girl.

Ruby gave her an abashed smile, to which Weiss huffed. Weiss stood and dusted herself off.

"Come on. Let's walk back and decide the specifics back at camp." No sooner did the words leave Weiss's mouth than Ruby started bolting away. "I said _walk_!"

* * *

Yang watched quietly, pretending to be reorganizing her pack, as Ruby and Weiss sat by the campfire, their heads bowed over Ruby's small slate, the one she used to draw pictures when she needed to explain something particularly complicated to someone or when she needed Yang to get something in town that she didn't have a hand sign for. Now, she was using it to learn to write. She and Weiss had taken to studying for a little while after supper. They had already made it through the first six big letters of the alphabet, and Weiss was showing her the next five.

Watching the two of them filled Yang with a plethora of conflicting feelings.

On the one hand, she was proud of her baby sister. Ruby had come so far within the last few weeks. No longer was she spending every minute nervous and tense due to having Weiss around. Ruby was relaxing. She was smiling more. She was acting silly again. She was being, well, _Ruby_ —the real Ruby—the one that before, only Yang and their Uncle Qrow would have gotten to see. But now that Ruby was showing up more and more, even though Weiss was with them.

It was so nice to see Ruby stepping out and broadening her comfort zone. She was finally, truly moving forward. Sure, her progress was probably only going to be around Weiss for now and the moment she met a new stranger, Yang was pretty positive that she'd retreat back into her shell, but even if her comfort zone only extended to Weiss, it was still just such a huge step for her. For the first time ever, she was branching out. She was blooming.

Ruby was growing up, and as wonderful as it was to see, it was also so bittersweet.

Yang could feel her insecurities start to trickle in, eroding open the cracks she usually kept covered up and out of sight. It was good that Ruby was learning to connect with Weiss, that she was finally making friends on her own, but somehow Yang couldn't help but feel a little forlorn, like she was being left behind.

Which was silly, because Yang _knew_ how much Ruby loved her. Knew that there was more love and affection in that little body of hers than should be physically possible, and that a good portion of it would always be reserved for Yang. It was in the way Ruby kept an eye on their things, always fixing frayed or worn items before Yang even realized they needed fixing. It was in the way she went hunting every single day because she knew Yang didn't feel quite satisfied without having some meat for supper. It was in the way she'd always smile and open up around Yang (or Uncle Qrow) when she remained nervous around everyone else.

And yet, just because Ruby had been spending a little more time with Weiss recently, Yang was starting to feel lonely, and maybe even a little uneasy.

At the same time, those thoughts filled Yang with so much guilt. Ruby getting to know other people was a good thing. Yang should be happy for her. Ecstatic even, especially considering the fact that Yang and Uncle Qrow had been worried for the longest time that Ruby would never, ever be alright around strangers. But here she was doing better than ever.

Ruby was even alright with _touching_ Weiss. That was _huge_. Yang could count on one hand the number of people Ruby would reach out to of her own volition. As much as Ruby loved physical affection, strangers freaked her out. She might accept the occasional hug from someone like Grandma Lily or one of their honorary uncles in the Riders back in Patch, but she never initiated contact. Not anymore—not after those monsters took and hurt her. But Yang had seen Ruby initiate contact with Weiss more than once. Ruby had even hugged the noble when she got that red cloak for her birthday.

Yang sent another glance over at the other two and felt another pang of guilt, an older one that she'd forgotten about until recently. Yang should have been the one teaching Ruby to read, not Weiss. That was her job, her _duty_ as Ruby's older sister. True, she wasn't the best reader or writer herself, but she could have at least taught Ruby the basics. But she had shirked it—told herself she was too busy and it wasn't a skill that Ruby needed to learn right away—when in truth, Yang had just been scared. Scared that if Ruby learned to read and write, she might consider following after their parents' footsteps and become a Huntress.

It hadn't been a _conscious_ decision on Yang's part, to not teach Ruby to read or write. It was just that there were other things that needed to be done. Firewood to be chopped and bundled up for sale. Laundry to be washed and hung to dry. Jerky that needed to be checked on periodically while Ruby was out hunting game for the next batch. A cabin that needed to be swept and tidied. And Ruby was always busy, too, so Yang never got around to asking her if she wanted to learn and eventually it just slipped from her mind.

Yang didn't actually know if Ruby wanted to become a Huntress or not; she'd never asked, and she didn't really want to find out because that might make her worries real. Right now, they were still a nebulous thing that she could pretend didn't exist, and she'd rather keep them that way.

Of course, it hadn't mattered in the end. A life of fighting off Grimm found them whether Yang liked it or not. Neither of the sisters were about to leave their uncle hanging if he needed someone to watch his back on a Grimm hunt, and that's how it all started. Not that he'd asked the first time, or even the second or third time. He was like Yang. He didn't want the girls anywhere near danger, but when the Chief Rider in Patch went behind Uncle Qrow's back and personally asked if Yang would accompany him on a particularly dangerous hunt, there was no way she'd say no. And of course, one hunt led to another, and then there was that time when Grandma Lily had been away visiting her sister, so Ruby had to come with them on that Alpha Ursa hunt. And after Ruby had taken down over half that pack of Beowolves all on her own at the tender age of thirteen, no less, there was no keeping her away from the battlefield. She was just too skilled, and as much as Yang hated to admit it, Ruby was never more alive, confident, and poised than when she was fighting Grimm. It was like she was born to fight them, and it worried Yang more than she cared to admit.

But thinking like that was wrong. Taking away Ruby's choices was wrong. Not teaching Ruby a useful skill just because Yang was afraid was wrong. Yang knew that, so when Weiss seemed to be struggling with consolidating Ruby's age with her level of skill, the suggestion for Weiss to teach Ruby to read and write just sort of popped out.

Now Yang found herself wishing she'd gotten over herself a lot sooner so that she could be the one bring that sparkle to Ruby's eyes and that smile to her face. Seriously, if Yang had known learning to read and write would make Ruby this happy, she would have started teaching her years ago. Nothing was more important to her than Ruby's health, safety, and happiness. _Nothing._ Yang's fears and insecurities could take a hike if it meant Ruby would be happy.

Yang gave a sigh as she closed up her pack and moved it away. She needed to do better.

A flicker of movement caused her to look up. She straightened, immediately shoving her melancholy and worries out of sight and out of mind.

"Hey Ruby."

Ruby gave Yang a wave as her tail wagged, the movement casting dancing shadows across the ground thanks to the campfire to her right.

Yang glanced around. "Where's Weiss? Weren't you two studying?"

 _She went to train some more_ , Ruby signed and then pointed in the direction of that day's makeshift training field.

Yang turned to look and sure enough, she saw the pale white glow of Weiss's Glyphs blinking in and out of existence. She must be practicing with her acceleration Glyphs again.

"She's getting better everyday," Yang mused aloud.

Working with Weiss had been interesting, to say the least. The noble was skilled and smart, but she seemed to lack flexibility. It was like someone had taught her there was one way and one way only to do things, and it showed. She was getting better though. Once Yang introduced an idea or concept to her, the noble positively ran with it and even started thinking up new variations to test out on her own. It was like someone had to give her _permission_ to be creative, and it hurt Yang to think of why she thought that way. Undoubtedly that sucky father of hers had something to do with it.

Ruby nodded solemnly in response to Yang's words.

That was when Yang noticed something was amiss. Ruby wasn't quite fidgeting, but it was clear something was on her mind.

Yang's eyes softened, and she tilted her head in such a way that it sent Ruby a wordless message: _I'm here. Whenever you're ready, I'll be here to listen._ The two of them had been together for so long that they didn't always need words to communicate when it came to little things like this.

It helped Ruby break free from the last of her indecision. Her shoulders uncoiled and her tail waved slowly from side to side. She shot a glance over to where Weiss was still practicing before finally signing hesitantly, _Hug?_

Which really translated to: _Can we cuddle?_

Instantly, Yang's heart filled with a mixture of love, warmth, and sadness. Love and warmth because obviously, the one day Yang let herself get dragged down by her emotions, Ruby would come and shine a light on her, reminding her of the good things in her life. Sadness because Yang knew exactly why Ruby was hesitating, and she hated that there were people out there who would cause Ruby to doubt herself.

She and Ruby had accepted a request to guide a group of travelers from Patch to a town about three days away. They were mercantile scouts looking for new possible trade routes and thus were unfamiliar with the area. Unfortunately, apparently one of the scouts hadn't heard that their escorts were a pair of sisters and since Yang and Ruby didn't look anything alike, the woman assumed otherwise and saw it fit to tell them it was wrong for two grown women to sleep together when she saw them sharing a bedroll in the morning. In actuality, it hadn't been a good night for Ruby and when her latest nightmare forced her to wake up trembling in cold sweat, she'd crawled into Yang's bedroll for warmth and comfort like she always did.

Yang had been two seconds away from decking the woman, taking Ruby home, and leaving the scouts to fend for themselves. Only the profuse apologies from the other scouts and Ruby's insistence that they couldn't just abandon them in the middle of nowhere stopped her. Yang had taken Ruby aside to tell her that everything the stupid woman had said was absolute drivel, but the damage had already been done. Now, even when Yang knew Ruby could use a hug or a cuddle, the girl wouldn't ask for one unless she knew the two of them were alone. Ruby kept holding herself back, and Yang hated that she felt like she needed to. It was torture, waking up in the morning and seeing Ruby's empty, disheveled bedroll, fully aware that it meant her precious baby sister had just passed another sleepless night all by herself, when there was no real reason for her to have to suffer alone like that.

"Of course, Ruby. You don't ever have to ask."

Yang opened her arms, and soon she had a cuddly Ruby in her lap. Ruby turned herself sideways and pressed her ear against Yang's chest, as she often did. She'd told Yang once that she liked listening to Yang's heartbeat, for whatever reason. Yang had wondered more than once if it was a Faunus thing or if it was simply a Ruby thing.

Yang wrapped one arm around Ruby to give her more support and used the fingers of her other hand to card through the girl's dark tresses, occasionally rubbing her wolf ears. The girl gave a slight shiver and positively _melted_ into a puddle of happy, content Ruby. Yang pressed a gentle kiss to the crown of her little sister's head and just continued to hold her close.

 _I missed this_ , Yang realized. They hadn't had a good cuddle session in a long while, not since Patch. _Maybe that's why I was feeling so down earlier. I was running low on Ruby-cuddles._

Yang let Ruby bask in their sisterly companionship for a little while, but she wouldn't be a proper big sister if she didn't check up on her so after a while, Yang asked, "Everything alright, Cuddlebug?" She hadn't used the nickname in so long. Too long. She ought to bring it back.

Ruby snuggled in closer for a few moments before she gave a soft sigh and pulled away so Yang could see her hands better. _I love you_ , Ruby signed.

"I love you, too," Yang said with a big smile that mirrored Ruby's

Then Ruby grew pensive. _When I was out hunting, I noticed there was a group of people_ , she signed

"People?"

Ruby nodded. _Maybe four miles out? And I think four people, but I'd have to get closer to be sure._

Yang frowned and mentally recalled the map she'd been poring over to plan their route. Four miles...would still be along the main road. The Southwest River ran parallel to the road for a time before skirting westward. Perhaps they just happened to leave town at the same time as some other group of people did?

"Which way?" she asked to be certain. Ruby pointed, and Yang relaxed. Yep, that was in the direction of the road. It was probably just a coincidence, but there was no reason not to be cautious.

"Don't approach them for now, Ruby. We don't know what kind of people they might be, and I don't want you facing them alone in case they're the bad sort. For now, just keep track of where they are, and let me know if they get any closer."

 _Should we tell Weiss?_ Ruby asked.

Yang shook her head. "She'll just worry and right now, we don't know if it's even something we need to worry about yet."

And if Weiss worried too much, it might call Grimm to them. No, it was better to keep quiet until they were sure.

Ruby nodded in response before leaning in for one last snuggle, to which Yang happily reciprocated. Then, Ruby's wolf ears twitched, and she climbed out of Yang's lap and moved away. A minute later, Yang heard footsteps and knew Weiss had returned.

So Ruby _had_ been worried about being too affectionate in front of Weiss, Yang thought as she hid a frown. She was going to have to do something about this. Yang did not want to have to wait for the next time Weiss was occupied to get her Ruby-cuddles.

Her mind worked to come up with a good solution as she outwardly welcomed Weiss back and offered her some tea, reminding the noble the importance of staying hydrated when exercising or working with Aura. Weiss offered her a quiet word of thanks, and they all began preparing to turn in for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if this explanation will ever come up in-story or not, but in case people feel like there's a discrepancy between Ruby giving Weiss a cheek-nuzzle and her being worried if Weiss catches her cuddling/snuggling with Yang; it's all a matter of Ruby's perceptions and experiences.
> 
> Cheek-nuzzles are the equivalent of extremely personal hugs for Ruby, and she pretty much only offers them to Yang and Qrow (and now Weiss because Weiss's presence in her life has grown that much.)
> 
> Regular nuzzles (that is, ones that involve her nose and mouth) are the same as kisses to her and the only one she offers those to is Yang (as evidenced way back at the end of Chapter 5 when Ruby was trying to comfort Yang).
> 
> The physicality of snuggling and cuddling, however, was tainted when the woman mercantile scout spewed her drabble about how two grown women shouldn't share a bedroll, blah blah blah [insert stupid homophobic comments here]. The woman's harsh reaction caused Ruby to recoil and internalize the belief that she's not supposed to be that physically close to other people, at least in public. She knows brief hugs are okay because she's seen other people do it before, but thanks to her social anxiety (and the fact that she knows her social skills are somewhat lacking), she’s hesitant to be the initiator when other people are around unless she’s absolutely certain they won’t mind. 
> 
> I hope that made sense to everyone.


	14. Aura-sight

Ruby took a deep breath and closed her eyes. One by one, she pushed away any immediate distractions. She ignored the beating of her heart and the feel of her chest rising and falling with every breath. She disregarded the way the wind blew her hair across her face and sent the bottom of her cloak dancing against her legs. She paid no heed to the wide variety of scents that teased her nose and tried to send her attention elsewhere. She pushed away every one of her other senses except for her hearing.

Her wolf ears swiveled back and forth as she listened. There was a badger somewhere nearby cleaning out its earthen den, its long claws scraping the soil. A small herd of deer were on the move maybe two miles upwind from where she stood, calling to each other occasionally. A rabbit was making its way through the calf-high grass, moving in a distinctive rustle-thump pattern as it carefully crawled several inches before risking a hop or two.

Ruby pushed her hearing out even further, methodically sorting out which sounds were important and which ones weren't. She listened and listened until she was sure she had found what she had been looking for—or rather, until she _hadn't_ found what she was looking for. Several days ago, she had reported to Yang that she'd heard people in the distance while she'd been out hunting, and those people had been pacing them for the last few days. Today, however, they seemed to be farther away than before.

Ruby tried to visualize the map Yang had shown her earlier and remembered they'd passed a Rider Waystation yesterday. Maybe the travelers decided to stop and rest there for a while before continuing on? So that meant they weren't following them, right? They were just travelers who happened to be going in the same direction. Yang would be relieved to hear that. She'd looked a little worried the night Ruby had first reported that they were out there.

But then why did Ruby still feel so uncomfortable? The spot between her shoulder blades itched as though she was being watched. She'd only felt this way once before when that Grimm Catamount had been stalking them. The large feline Grimm had used the boulders along the mountain range they'd been passing to hide its presence until it finally decided to strike.

Ruby raised her nose to the breeze, but didn't smell anything out of the ordinary either. She closed her eyes and rubbed her face. This was frustrating. She was supposed to be the scout, the one who kept everyone safe by notifying them of possible dangers before they actually became dangerous, but right now she was failing.

Ruby heaved a long sigh. Maybe she should check the perimeter again, just to be sure there was nothing out there.

That was when Ruby heard a soft, light rasp, like claws against bark, far to her right. She spun only to meet the startled eyes of a gray fox crouching on the lowest branch of a nearby tree.

Ruby blinked.

A gray fox out here? That was...odd. While the hilly grasslands they were traveling through did have its fair share of trees, gray foxes usually preferred rockier, more heavily wooded environments so they could take advantage of their climbing abilities to flee from larger predators. Ruby would know. She saw them all the time around Patch. Ruby would have expected to see a red fox in an open field like this, not a gray fox.

While Ruby had been lost in her thoughts, the silver and black furred, white and copper chested creature suddenly leapt down from its perch and disappeared into the grass. Ruby listened absentmindedly as it scurried away, the sounds growing fainter and fainter until she could hear them no longer.

Maybe it had gotten swept away from its home during a flood and was forced to make a new home here down river, she mused. It happened sometimes. One of the Riders who used to be a woodsman said so.

Ruby glanced up at the darkening sky. She needed to get moving if she was going to make one last circuit around camp, and she still had to catch something for supper. If she was lucky, maybe she'd find another chubby partridge or two. Weiss seemed to like them better than rabbit or fish after all.

Maybe. It was hard to tell. But the last time Ruby had brought a few back, Weiss had eaten more than half of one all by herself! Or maybe Weiss was just tired of soup and stew and liked the way Yang had gone all out and roasted the birds.

Ruby didn't blame her. Both she and Yang liked roasted meat better, too, but it was a lot more work than just filling a pot with water and tossing ingredients in to stew. You had to make a spit for one, and then you had to stay there and keep turning it to make sure the meat cooked evenly. It was so _boring_.

Ruby hated being bored and being forced to sit still with nothing to do. It was why she had picked up whittling in the first place; because it gave her something to do when she was fishing or when poor weather forced her to stay indoors. Her mind fluttered back to the small sack that held her tools and current whittling projects. They were taking shape quite nicely, but pretty soon Ruby would have to start working on them away from camp. She didn't want to ruin the surprise after all. Ruby's tail began to wag in anticipation. _I hope they like them._

Her worries forgotten for the moment, the girl gave an excited little bounce and sprang into a mile-eating jog, enjoying the feel of her muscles warming and stretching. Ruby loved spending more time traveling with Yang and Weiss, listening to them chat sometimes as they all walked together, but she did miss the physical exertion scouting had offered her before she'd overdone it and exhausted her Aura. She wondered when Yang would finally lift her scouting ban and let her run on ahead again. She hoped it'd be soon. She was starting to feel a little pent up. Being allowed to hunt again helped, but she still couldn't get as good a workout as when she ran back and forth scouting.

Her muscles now sufficiently warmed, Ruby increased her pace, flicking her lupine ears this way and that, listening closely for the sound of any animals wandering through the grass. There. That way. She'd heard the soft cluck of a bird and where there was one bird, there were always more. Ruby slowed to a walk and quietly began stalking her prey.

* * *

"Alright, now 'L'."

Weiss watched as Ruby bent over her small slate and carefully wrote out a capital 'L' with her little piece of chalk. The girl's brow was slightly furrowed, and her tongue was sticking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration. It was rather...endearing, in a way, but Weiss still had to chide her for it on principle. Alas, her admonishments didn't seem have any lasting impression on the girl. Then Weiss noticed Yang doing the same thing once, and she promptly gave up.

 _Sisters, indeed. I wonder if Winter and I share any habits like Yang and Ruby do._ _Most likely not._

They hadn't spent enough time together growing up to pick up on any habits the other might have. It left a sharp pang in Weiss's heart to think of all the time she and Winter had lost—all the memories they had never been able to share. Even when Winter had still been at the castle, she was so much older than Weiss and as the oldest, their father had kept her busy, leaving her very little time to spend with her younger sister.

Weiss knew for certain she didn't share any habits with her little brother, Whitley. Her father had kept them apart as soon as he had been born, not wanting him to be negatively influenced by his…disappointment...of an older sister.

Ruby held up her slate with a triumphant smile and showed Weiss her 'L'.

"Very good." The girl's tail started wagging. "Now," Weiss continued, "what words start with the letter 'L'?"

Interestingly enough, Ruby's literacy lessons had soon evolved into general language lessons. Normally a child would be taught a letter and then be forced to recite any corresponding words, but obviously that method wouldn't work for Ruby. At first, Ruby had sketched out little drawings for each letter—an apple for 'A', a bear for 'B'—and they were even quite good—but it took far too long to be practical. Ruby ended up spending more time drawing than writing. At last, Ruby came up with the idea of teaching Weiss the hand-signs she needed to be able to check Ruby's understanding and memory. It slowed down Ruby's literacy lessons, but it expanded Weiss's ability to recognize Ruby's hand-signs so much that they started trading off. One night they would work on Ruby's reading and writing, and the next, they would teach Weiss more hand-signs.

Ruby made the hand-signs for 'left', 'look', and 'lift'. (There weren't many useful 'L' nouns so they had gone with other useful words that might come up in everyday conversation.)

Weiss nodded, earning herself a bright grin. "Now, what letter comes next?"

She watched as Ruby thought for a moment and then wrote out a capital 'N'.

"Almost. That's an 'N', which is the next one. There's a letter that comes before that one. Do you remember?"

Ruby frowned, thinking. Weiss sat back to let the girl think in peace.

This was...nice. Enjoyable even. To get to watch Ruby learn each new letter and grow more confident in writing them. The girl just looked so _happy_ when she succeeded that Weiss couldn't help but smile softly along with her. It was soothing and made Weiss feel like she was finally doing some good in her life. Like she was finally doing something useful and worthwhile.

Ruby suddenly bolted up straight, erased the 'N' on her slate, and wrote out 'M'.

Weiss found herself smiling yet again. "Yes, good, and what words start with the letter 'M'?"

* * *

Days turned to weeks as the three of them steadily made their way south and then southwest. Even spending more time training each day, they were making good time simply because Weiss was fitter than ever and thus better able to keep up. The journey itself was largely uneventful save a handful of run-ins with a stray Beowolf pack or Nevermore flock—nothing that they couldn't deal with and better yet, each encounter gave Weiss valuable battle experience.

Occasionally, they had to cross a smaller stream whenever one branched off from the main river channel. Thankfully, Weiss's platform Glyphs erased the need to wade through every frigid stream they came across, and there were many indeed. By the time they finished the fourth crossing, the temperature took a sudden dive, a sign that autumn was finally ending and winter was well on its way.

"Weeeiss, get over here. You're going to freeze, and turn into a Weissicle if you stay out there all night."

Weiss cringed at Yang's newest lexical atrocity as she set up her bedroll by the fire like usual. "I _refuse_ to have anything to do with such a horrid distortion of my name."

Yang grinned victoriously. "But it got your attention, didn't it?"

Weiss shot a glare at the other woman and deigned not to answer.

"Weeeiss—. Weissy-Weiss—"

"Ugh, stop that already!"

"Then don't ignore me."

Weiss let out a long, aggrieved sigh. "Yang, there's no way we're going to be able to fit three people in a tent that small."

The drop in temperature led to Yang finally breaking out the tent she had been carrying for weeks but they had never needed to use. The few times it rained during the journey, they'd been lucky enough to be able to take shelter in caves or under stone eaves. Or rather, Ruby apparently was able to smell the rain in the air, purposely looked for good places to get out of the rain on her scouting forays, and then led them there before the first few droplets fell.

"Uh, yes we can. You and Ruby are tiny."

"I am not! I am a perfectly reasonable size."

"Besides," Yang continued as if Weiss hadn't said anything, "the smaller space traps heat better. Trust me; you'll be thankful for that by morning. And look on the bright side! Less room means you might get Ruby-cuddles!"

Weiss blinked. "Ruby...cuddles?"

"Yep. Guaranteed to make any dark day brighter and any chilly night warmer," the woman said with a grin.

Weiss couldn't help but turn that over in her head. It was true that there was just a certain something—some unquantifiable aspect to Ruby's physical affection that somehow soothed the soul—and Weiss noticed that she seemed to have an unusually high body temperature. Not as high as Yang's but then again, Yang's temperature was a byproduct of her Semblance. Ruby was naturally warm, and Weiss had wondered more than once if perhaps it was because she was a Faunus. Then she shook off the thought, remembering belatedly that it had no value or influence on this discussion.

"No, Yang. I'll be fine here." If Weiss joined them in the tent, they'd have to practically be sleeping on top of each other to fit. Besides, Weiss hadn't shared a bed with anyone since she was a little girl, when her occasional nightmare was scary enough to send her crawling into Winter's bed in the middle of the night. The very idea of sleeping so close to someone else made her inexplicably uncomfortable. While she was slowly getting accustomed to Ruby's (and occasionally Yang's) physical displays of affection, she was by no means used to them. Sometimes she wondered if she ever would be. And was getting used to it even a good thing? She didn't know. Nothing in her upbringing had ever prepared her for this sort of dilemma.

Refusing to argue with Yang further, Weiss pulled out her sleep clothes and slipped into as many layers as she could (two pairs of leggings, two thick woolen socks, and three shirts), hoping they'd help stave off the worst of the cold. Then, she bundled herself up in her blankets and closed her eyes, hoping to fall asleep before the cold started seeping in.

She heard Yang let out a gusty sigh. "I'm telling ya, you're gonna regret it in the morning."

Weiss frowned but didn't answer her.

There was a rapid patter of boots, telling Weiss that Ruby had just returned from her last perimeter check for the night.

"Come on, Ruby," Yang said. "Time for bed." There was a pause. "No, Weiss says she'll be fine outside."

There was another series of sounds, most likely the sisters getting ready to go to sleep. Weiss was about to fall asleep when a pair of footsteps approached and stopped next to her bedroll. Weiss felt the air shift and then something was laid on top of her.

Weiss's eyes popped open, and she looked up to see Ruby had taken out her two old cloaks and were laying them out on top of Weiss's blankets to use as extra blankets. Then the girl went a step further and took her new crimson cloak from her shoulders and laid that down as well, making sure that all three layers of cloaks were tucked comfortably along Weiss's sides. Weiss couldn't help but turn a little pink.

She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Thank you," she mumbled, embarrassed.

Ruby smiled, her tail wagging, and signed, _Good night._

"Good night."

* * *

Later that night, Weiss shivered herself awake. It was so cold. Her teeth were chattering and her face felt frozen. She forced her eyes open a crack and realized the fire had gone out. She knew she should get out of her bedroll and try to start it up again, but she didn't want to, knowing that the moment she opened her bundle of blankets, she would lose what little heat remained. An even more violent shiver wracked her body just as the thought crossed her mind.

She closed her eyes, trying desperately to summon enough willpower to move. Instead, all she felt was the bone-aching cold. She was so cold that even her thoughts seemed sluggish.

She must have dozed off for the next time she was conscious, she heard footsteps nearby, and Weiss felt rather than saw someone crouch next to her. They radiated pure heat. _Yang._

Sure enough, the older woman's voice reached her ears. "Done being stubborn yet, Ice Queen?"

Weiss couldn't even answer; her jaw refused to do anything but chatter from the cold.

"You're lucky Ruby's sensitive enough to her surroundings that she woke up when the fire went out. Otherwise you really might have turned into an Weissicle." Weiss felt a pair of strong, blissfully warm, almost hot, arms wrap around her and lift her from her bedroll, blankets and all. "Ruby, can you grab her stuff and move it to the tent?"

It was far more difficult than it should have been, but Weiss forced her eyes open. Yang was cradling Weiss's frozen body against her own much warmer body. Yang glanced down into her face. "You're sleeping in the tent with us. No buts. I even promise not to say 'I told you so.'"

It took all of Weiss's remaining energy, but she forced out, "You just...said...it." She shivered again and instinctively moved closer to the giant brazier holding her.

Yang snorted softly. "Yeah, I did, didn't I? Oh well." Yang shifted her grip slightly, making Weiss lurch uncomfortably, but she didn't even care. She was just so, so relieved that the biting, bone-numbing cold was finally being pushed back thanks to Yang's Semblance. Her limbs still felt locked in place, but she was slowly starting feel the blood flowing through her body again.

"Weiss," Yang said, catching her attention once more. "I let it go this time because you needed to learn, but next time just listen to me? Ruby and I have traveled a lot more than you, and we know what we're doing. Trust us. We're not going to lead you astray."

Shamefaced, Weiss could only look away and nod.

"Hey, none of that. You made a mistake, and that's fine. Everyone makes 'em. No need to brood over it. It's over and done with now. Just don't make the same mistake in the future and you'll be fine." Yang glanced up. "Looks like Ruby's done." She grinned down at Weiss. "Time to get cozy."

It was a little awkward getting Weiss into the tent. Her limbs still didn't want to move so Yang had to do most of the maneuvering, and Weiss had been right about the tent being small. Eventually though, Weiss found herself nestled between the two sisters, still wrapped up in her blankets and Ruby's cloaks.

A part of Weiss knew that if she hadn't been so cold, she would have been panicking at their close proximity, but right now all she cared about was feeling warm again. That was why she didn't say anything when Yang pressed herself up against Weiss's back and threw an arm over her middle, and when Ruby scooted up against her front and snuggled into her cold shoulder. Yang's warmth felt ridiculously good, like the sun itself was right behind Weiss, embracing her and warming her right down to her bones. Ruby's warm wolf ears brushed up against the side of Weiss's face, and she had to fight the urge to lean forward to press her chilled cheek against them. As Ruby snuggled in, she wrapped her own arm around Weiss from the front and even tossed a leg over Weiss's for good measure. It took a little longer for Ruby's additional warmth to travel through Weiss's thick blanket cocoon but once it did, Weiss couldn't help but sigh with relief.

Time passed—Weiss didn't know how long—but when Weiss was finally feeling borderline normal again, she muttered, "This doesn't leave the tent." She couldn't believe she'd gotten herself into this sort of predicament. It was so embarrassing.

That earned her another snort from Yang. "Well, clearly you're feeling better," Yang said sleepily.

"Yes. Thank you. And I'm sorry." Weiss wriggled a bit, trying to get more comfortable. She wasn't accustomed to sleeping on her side. She always slept on her back.

Yang took her wriggling as a sign to move and took her arm back. She shifted away, giving Weiss more room. Weiss's back suddenly felt noticeably cooler, but she did her best to ignore it. Ruby pulled away as well, leaving Weiss feeling twice as cold, but then Ruby sat up to help Weiss rearrange her blankets, some of which had gotten uncomfortably folded beneath her.

"Thank you, Ruby," Weiss said softly. It occurred to her that if this had happened only a few weeks before, Weiss might have reacted badly, thinking Ruby was babying her. Now she knew the truth, though. This was just who Ruby was. It was the way she showed she cared without words. She paid attention to people's comfort and reacted accordingly to the best of her abilities. It was odd, to be sure, but it was so very Ruby.

A hand brushed up against Weiss's arm, an indication that Ruby had heard her, before she felt the girl move away. "Ruby?" Weiss looked up, trying to see where the girl was going, an impossible task inside the dark tent.

"Relax, Ice Queen. She's just moving back to my other side," Yang said. "She's a major cuddler and'll latch onto the closest heat source and not let go until morning. Uncle Qrow won't go anywhere within five feet of her anymore if she's sleeping or napping because that's a surefire way to get caught by the cuddle-monster, or as I like to call her, the Cuddlebug." Weiss heard a fond smile in the woman's voice.

Yang's voice gentled. "We know you're not that comfortable with too much physical contact so it's better if I sleep in the middle as a buffer. Plus, I can radiate heat to both of you to keep you warmer."

"I...see." Oh, was that all? For a moment, Weiss had been worried that she'd done something wrong again that would cause Ruby to avoid her.

Something of her feelings must have showed up in her voice, because Yang said, "Unless...you'd like cuddles?"

Weiss was so caught off-guard by the odd question that she answered honestly without thinking. "I don't know. I've never even…"

"What we just did was cuddling," Yang pointed out. "Sure, it was for the sake of getting you warm again rather than just for comfort and companionship, but cuddling is still cuddling. Did you like it?"

Yes...she had...actually. Which was unexpected. And a little scary. Weiss had never needed or wanted that sort of...connection with anyone before so why…?

In the end, she never answered Yang. Instead, she lay there quietly, her thoughts still turning long after she heard both sisters' breathing change, telling her they'd both fallen asleep.

* * *

After that night, Weiss joined the sisters in their tent without question. It was too cold now to do otherwise.

As Yang had mentioned, the tent did a surprisingly good job trapping the heat Yang radiated while also keeping the cold night air out. The sisters' tent was apparently comprised of an oilcloth outer layer and an inner layer of woolen felt. The insulating felt layer was held in place by a series of buttons so that it could be easily removed in warmer weather. When Weiss woke up that first morning, she also noticed a linen-covered felt pad covering the ground cloth, providing further insulation as well as cushioning.

And to Weiss's surprise, she got used to sleeping beside Yang rather quickly. In fact, a very small part of her might even have argued that having Yang so close was actually comforting. The woman was a rock—a sturdy, reliable, mountain of stone that Weiss felt she could rely on, especially now that the woman had seemed to have adopted Weiss like a younger cousin of sorts and even occasionally mothered her in the same way she mothered Ruby. Weiss still wasn't sure how she felt about that, but her heart always felt...full...when she thought about it.

It soon got to the point where Weiss barely even stirred when Yang woke to make breakfast a few days later. (They had tried turning breakfast into a shared chore like everything else, but Weiss was rarely able to wake up earlier than either of the two sisters. Eventually they just gave up, and Weiss became the official dish washer while Ruby and Yang took turns waking up early to cook.)

That particular morning, Weiss was pleasantly surprised to find that she was actually feeling cozy upon awakening, which was odd because she could have sworn Yang had left the tent, taking her radiating warmth with her. Then, something velvety soft and wonderfully warm brushed up against Weiss's chin, and something else equally as warm cuddled snugly into her side and against her shoulder. Weiss's eyes snapped open just as the tent flap was pulled away. Weiss squinted against the sudden light with a sound of dismay. When she could finally see again, she saw Yang peering into the tent, the woman's expression morphing quickly from surprise to amusement. The woman motioned for Weiss to look down.

Weiss tried, but she had barely tilted her head when her cheek came into contact with a pair of warm lupine ears and the top of someone's head. The scent of roses filled her senses. _Ruby…?_ The noble stiffened and tried to pull away, but she was still trapped in her blankets. Ruby just flicked her wolf ears discontentedly at the fact Weiss had moved and nestled in closer. The noble looked up at Yang in panic, but the golden-haired woman just grinned.

Then Yang mouthed something. Weiss's brow furrowed in confusion. Yang rolled her eyes and mouthed it again, this time exaggerating the words, _Let her sleep._

Let her sleep? Weiss frowned but nodded, and Yang ducked back out of the tent. The tent flap fluttered shut, leaving them shrouded in mostly darkness once more.

Weiss lay there for a time, her thoughts going every which way as she tried to get accustomed to the feel of having another body snuggling into her like Ruby was doing. She wondered briefly if this was how Winter had felt all those years ago when Weiss snuck into her bed without warning. As her thoughts turned, the noble remembered what Yang had called Ruby several nights before.

_Cuddlebug. An apt nickname._

At last, Weiss blew out a breath and closed her eyes. This was all too strange, and it was far too early in the morning to be worrying about anything. Weiss was warm. She was cozy. And she had just been given permission to sleep in a little longer, so that was what she'd do. Everything else could wait until later.

However, a single thought remained with her as she drifted off to sleep once more. This was actually...rather...nice.

* * *

Weiss didn't know how long she dozed but at some point, she started to feel uncomfortably warm. Her once cozy blankets now felt hot and constricting, and all that extra heat was originating along her right side. Something was wrong.

For the second time that morning, Weiss bolted awake, though this time in worry rather than surprise. "Ruby? Ruby!" The girl was usually warm to the touch, but she'd never been this warm before.

The girl barely stirred at Weiss calling her name, causing Weiss's heart to clench with unease.

Weiss struggled from her blanket cocoon and managed to free her left arm. She reached out and stopped just short of touching Ruby's cheek. The girl was hot. Too hot. Weiss didn't even have to touch her to feel the amount of heat radiating off the girl.

"Yang!" Weiss cried out, her voice lurching up in alarm.

Pounding footsteps and the tent flap was torn open.

Weiss pushed herself up so that she could get a better look at Ruby's face, careful not to move too fast so that the girl's head didn't slip from her shoulder and hit the ground. Ruby's face was flushed red, and she was sweating.

Half a second later, Yang was kneeling on Ruby's other side. The older sister did what Weiss hadn't and cupped her little sister's face.

"What's wrong with her?" Weiss asked after the silence had stretched on far too long for her liking, though in hindsight it had probably been no longer than a few seconds.

Yang blinked as if she had forgotten Weiss was there. Then she blew out a breath. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong. She's fine. This is normal."

_Normal…? How could it be?_

"But—"

"Really, Weiss. She's gonna be just fine." But Yang's expression wavered ever so slightly as she spoke, telling the noble that the woman was far more worried than she was willing to let on.

 _This is like that time at the ravine_ , Weiss realized. Weiss had been so panicked then, but Yang had seen that and became a pillar of strength and calm for her to latch onto. However, thinking back on it all, there was no way someone as protective as Yang would have been alright upon seeing someone she loved so much lying motionless on the ground like that.

Weiss closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out. When she opened her eyes next, they were filled with a steely determination. This time she would do better.

"What can I do to help?" Weiss asked as she carefully shifted Ruby from her shoulder into Yang's waiting arms. As soon as she was free of her blankets, she stripped out of her sleep clothes and slipped into her travel clothes. When she had turned back, Yang looked surprised before her lilac eyes filled with a light Weiss couldn't quite name.

"It's just a fever," Yang said at last. "Ruby gets them once in a while. For now, I want to get her outside so I can examine her properly in the light, so if you could take Ruby's bedroll and lay it out near the fire? And then fetch the basin and fill it halfway with water. And Ruby keeps several small washcloths in her pack so if you could grab those, too? I'll be right out with Ruby in a moment."

Weiss cast one last look at the fever-ridden girl cradled in Yang's arms before she gave a brief nod and rushed to as she was asked.

* * *

As soon as Weiss left, the gratitude Yang felt towards the noble for immediately offering to help so that Yang could concentrate on Ruby right now dimmed in the face of other rising emotions. Yang had to close her eyes for a few seconds to get her bearings as she fought off a mixture of frustration and worry, before turning her attention to her little sister.

"Ruby...Ruby, I need you to wake up for me, alright?"

Yang had to repeat herself a few times as she stroked Ruby's cheek before the girl finally began to stir. Ruby's eyes blinked open blearily.

"There you are...Hey Sis," Yang said, keeping her voice soft and soothing. "You're a little warm today."

Ruby's tail thumped weakly in acknowledgement, but otherwise she made no attempt to move. The small girl's eyes drifted shut again after a moment, and she pressed her cheek more firmly into Yang's palm. Yang brushed her thumb along Ruby's cheekbone, knowing that touch comforted her more than anything else when she was feeling out of sorts like this.

Yang gave her a few quiet minutes, but she didn't want Ruby to fall back asleep until she had eaten something and taken her medicine. "Alright, Ruby, time to get up. Can you stand?"

Ruby drew in a slow, weary breath and nodded her head. Yang set out the girl's boots and helped her put them on. She didn't bother helping Ruby get dressed. Ruby would be in no condition to travel for at least a day, possibly longer, so Yang might as well let her be as comfortable as possible. However, she did grab Ruby's red cloak and drape it around her small shoulders. Ruby might have to take it off later if her fever went up, but Yang knew she would still want it nearby.

Yang made her way out of of the tent first (crawling because of the low ceiling) and turned back just in case Ruby needed help getting to her feet. She didn't, but her movements were uncharacteristically lethargic, making Yang's heart grow heavy with worry.

Weiss turned to face them and started to come over the moment they made an appearance. It looked like she might have been pacing while she was waiting. Yang had to fight the urge to step in the way to protect her baby sister, mostly because an agitated and uneasy Weiss was also often an aggressive Weiss, and the noble's aggressive body language was setting off all of Yang's protective instincts.

_Cool it, Yang. Weiss isn't going to hurt Ruby. You know that._

And she did. These past few weeks of getting to know Weiss during their combat training or evening chats, as well as watching the noble interact with Ruby the rest of the time, had done a lot in helping Yang move towards trusting Weiss with Ruby, the most important thing in her life, but Yang still had a lot to work through. She just wasn't used to trusting or relying on other people when it came to Ruby, and she figured she was doing as well as could be expected considering she had a lifetime's worth of protective instincts to wrestle into submission, among other things.

Both Yang and Weiss hovered as the youngest of them walked somewhat unsteadily over to where Weiss had laid out Ruby's bedroll. Ruby was just as slow to sit down as she had been to stand, and when she finally had her bottom planted in the middle of her bedroll, she drew her cloak more snugly around her shoulders and closed her eyes.

Yang knelt by her little sister. "You can sleep all you want later, but right now I need you to stay awake, alright Sis?"

Ruby nodded and opened her eyes tiredly, those silver orbs uncharacteristically dim and cloudy.

"Good girl," Yang said, smiling softly. "So how are you feeling, on a scale from one to five?"

One of Ruby's hands wormed its way out from under her cloak. She held up two fingers and then abruptly slashed them downwards as if cutting something in half.

Acutely aware that Weiss was watching in silent worry on the sidelines, Yang interpreted for her, "Two and a half. That's not too bad then."

Yang started going down the usual list of questions. "Are you hungry?" Head-shake. "Thirsty?" A small nod. Yang immediately fetched her a cup of water (not tea because Yang was worried it might react badly with her medicine later) and watched Ruby drink it all before continuing her questions. "Are you cold?" Another nod. "Are you just cold or do you feel chills?" Ruby held up one finger with a nod and then held up two fingers with a head-shake, indicating 'yes' to the first option and 'no' to the second. "Do you have any aches or pains?" A head-shake. "Do you feel sick at all?" Another head-shake.

"Alright." Yang reached out and combed her fingers through the tresses at Ruby's temple before dropping her hand to cup Ruby's face again. Ruby leaned into her touch instantly. Yang's heart near-about broke at seeing how miserable her baby sister was feeling. She'd never get used to seeing her like this no matter how often it happened. "Here's what we're gonna do. I'm gonna go get your medicine ready. And you know what Uncle Qrow said. The man at the apothecary told him that if you drink the medicine on an empty stomach, it might make your tummy hurt, so you need to eat something first."

Yang took a deep breath, looked up, and held Weiss's eyes for a moment.

 _Trus_ t, a voice whispered in the back of her mind. Somehow it always sounded like Uncle Qrow when he was lecturing her about something or other.

 _I'm trying_ , she answered it with a touch of annoyance.

"Weiss is going to stay with you to make sure you don't fall asleep." Weiss's gaze sharpened, and the noble nodded in confirmation. Slightly reassured, Yang turned her full attention back to Ruby. "Try to eat as much as you can, alright? But no matter what, make sure you eat at least half a bowl's worth of food. And if you need help with anything at all, Weiss will be there to help you." Yang gave the side of Ruby's face one last stroke before pulling away.

As Yang walked off, she heard Weiss's high but soft tones speaking to Ruby. Yang chanced a glance back only to see Ruby slowly putting a spoonful of porridge into her mouth. Yang breathed a little easier when she saw Weiss helping Ruby steady the bowl in her lap—when she saw how gently the noble was treating her little sister.

Yang grabbed her knapsack and pulled out the small sack that held Ruby's medicine. Uncle Qrow had traveled all over the place for months, bringing back different concoctions for Ruby to try whenever her fevers started up. Some of them didn't work at all while others only had a slight fever-reducing effect. A few others even made Ruby feel worse, making her feel nauseated and unable to keep anything down. This particular medicine was the only blend that seemed to work consistently and kept Ruby's fever down to a manageable level without any unpleasant side-effects. It wasn't a cure, and they still had no clue what was causing the fevers in the first place, but it was still better than nothing.

Yang emptied their little teapot, rinsed it out, and put a scoop of the medicinal herbs into the strainer. Not wanting to waste time rinsing out their breakfast pot just to get some hot water, she filled one of their earthenware travel mugs with water and heated it with her Semblance. When the water in the mug started to bubble, she poured it into the teapot and repeated the process until the herbs were fully submerged in hot water. Now all she had to do was let it steep for a while.

* * *

Weiss quickly ladled out half a bowl of the dried apple-studded porridge sitting near the fire and brought it back to Ruby, who looked like she seconds away from falling asleep.

"Ruby," Weiss called out as she sat down next to the feverish girl. She handed the bowl to Ruby, only for her hand to shoot out again when it nearly slipped from the small girl's grasp.

A look of consternation crossed Ruby's face. Her lupine ears drooped as she signed weakly, _I'm sorry_.

"It's fine," Weiss said as gently as she could. "Here, let me help." She kept a hand on the bowl this time as Ruby moved to balance it on her lap.

Weiss's mind swirled with questions but now didn't seem to be a good time to ask them. Instead, she turned her full attention to making sure that spoon continued making its way to Ruby's mouth. When Ruby finally scraped up the last bit and swallowed, Weiss took the bowl and spoon from her and set them aside.

"Well done," Weiss murmured, glad to see the girl still had enough energy to wag her tail, albeit very slowly. "Do you need anything to drink?"

Ruby made the hand-sign for water. The noble quickly fetched some and helped Ruby hold the mug steady as she drank. After Ruby was finished, Weiss took the mug, intending to put it aside, only for her grip on it to tighten in surprise instead. Ruby had dropped her head to lean against Weiss's shoulder. Slowly, so as not to dislodge the girl leaning against her, Weiss shifted the mug to her opposite hand and placed it on the ground next to her.

"Ruby, are you awake?" The girl nodded against her shoulder but didn't pull away. Weiss gave a resigned sigh and reached for Ruby's hand, noting distantly that she only felt the slightest bit of hesitation at initiating physical contact now. "Alright. You may keep your eyes closed if you wish, but I want you to squeeze my hand every few moments so that I know you haven't fallen asleep." Weiss had only intended to lay Ruby's hand over her own, but apparently Ruby didn't like that for the girl promptly rearranged their hands so that their fingers were intertwined.

Weiss couldn't help but stare at their joined hands for a few seconds. Finally, she gave Ruby's feverish hand a little squeeze, which was soon returned. They sat there for seemingly a long time, exchanging those little hand squeezes every so often. If Ruby took too long to return a squeeze, Weiss gently called her name until she stirred enough to continue their agreement. Eventually though, Weiss's lips tightened when she realized she could feel just how hot the girl's head was against her shoulder. Ruby's temperature was so high that it had penetrated through all three layers of Weiss's winter clothing, a thinner undershirt, a woolen overshirt, and her grey coat.

A shadow passed over them, and Weiss looked up to see Yang lowering herself to a crouch.

"Yang? I think she's getting worse," Weiss said quietly.

Yang glanced down at Ruby and Weiss's intertwined fingers, causing Weiss to redden slightly, but the other woman's expression only softened before growing serious again.

"Yeah. This is normal. Her fevers always get worse before they get better. Her medicinal tea is still cooling," —Yang pointed her thumb at the teapot which she had placed in the basin of river-cold water Weiss had fetched earlier to cool— "so we're going to have to use other methods to keep her temperature from going any higher."

Yang reached out to ruffle Ruby's hair. "Wakey-wakey, Sis. We need to cool you off a bit, alright?"

Ruby's wolf ears flattened, and she shrank slightly.

At Weiss's raised eyebrow, Yang explained, "She doesn't like it because it makes her feel even colder even though it's good for her." She turned her attention back to Ruby. "Come on, Ruby."

Ruby's tail coiled discontentedly before she finally opened her eyes. She straightened and slipped out of her cloak. Yang made Ruby take off her thick woolen sleep shirt as well and had her replace it with a thinner shirt to help her body cool off. Ruby started shivering instantly.

"I know it's cold, but it's only for a little while," Yang said soothingly.

Ruby gave her a displeased pout before nodding reluctantly. She flopped down on her bedroll and curled up on her side. She stayed like that for no more than a few seconds before she started inching upwards to where Weiss was sitting. Yang had a good chuckle at Weiss's expense when she saw the utter bewilderment on Weiss's face at Ruby's antics. Ruby only stopped moving when she could go no farther and the top of her head was pressing against Weiss's leg.

Weiss started to get up, thinking that she was in the way, but Ruby then reached up to grab Weiss's wrist, stopping her from going anywhere.

"Sorry about that," Yang said, still smiling softly. "She gets touchy when she isn't feeling well. Touch is comforting for her, but she knows she's not allowed to cuddle with me until after she takes her medicine and we're sure her temperature is dropping again. I'd only make her fever worse." She reached down to comb Ruby's mussed locks with her fingers. (The girl's hair had gotten disheveled after changing her shirt.)

"She'll move if she's making you uncomfortable," Yang added, almost offhandedly.

Weiss thought for a long moment before finally shaking her head. "No. It's fine." And it was. True, she couldn't say she was entirely comfortable with this turn of events, but that didn't mean she was _un_ comfortable. And Ruby looked so miserable that Weiss didn't have the heart to withhold even the slightest bit of comfort.

Ruby's tail wagged weakly, and she pressed up against Weiss's leg even more firmly.

Yang grabbed the washcloths she had asked Weiss to fetch earlier, soaked them in the basin of water, picked one up, and wrung it out. She handed the cloth to Weiss, who took it questioningly. "A damp cloth to the forehead and wrists can help keep a fever down," Yang explained. "I'll get her wrists if you'll put that on her forehead."

Oh. Weiss vaguely recalled someone doing the same for her when she had been much younger. Winter? Her mother? Klein? She couldn't remember.

Weiss folded the dampened cloth neatly and laid it across Ruby's forehead as soon as the girl rolled over onto her back. Ruby was still shivering a little, but the cool cloth against her heated skin apparently felt good regardless, for she gave a soft sigh of relief and seemed to relax a little.

Yang wrapped two other washcloths around Ruby's wrists. Then she grabbed the last washcloth and used it to wipe the sweat from her little sister's face and neck. Yang and Weiss worked in companionable silence, re-wetting the cloths whenever they deemed it necessary as they waited for Ruby's medicinal tea to cool. When the tea had finally cooled, Ruby drank it down with a grimace, presumably because of the taste. Then, she closed her eyes, curled up around her red cloak, and seemingly went to sleep.

Weiss waited until she was absolutely positive that Ruby was truly sleeping before she finally asked Yang in a quiet voice, "Is Ruby sick?"

Had she been ill this entire time since they'd met and Weiss hadn't noticed at all?

"If she is, it's a sickness that no one has ever heard of and other than suffering from the occasional high fever, she's perfectly healthy the rest of the time. She'll be down for a day or two, and then she'll pop right back up as if nothing happened," Yang answered in an equally quiet voice.

There was a pause before Yang said, "We'll be staying here until Ruby's fever breaks. If there's anything you want to do, wash clothes or train or whatever, now's your chance."

Weiss glanced down hesitantly at the wolf Faunus who had pressed herself so resolutely against her leg.

"She'll stay asleep," Yang said, correctly guessing her hesitation. "The fever really drains her so once she's out, she's out."

At last, Weiss nodded and rose to fetch Myrtenaster from her side of the tent. Training seemed like a good way to pass the time. There was always something for her to work on and improve. Then she remembered she hadn't eaten breakfast yet. She'd been so worried about Ruby that she hadn't been hungry. She _still_ wasn't hungry. Well, she could always find something to eat later if she needed it.

It was chance more than anything else that caused Weiss to call upon her defensive Aura while still at camp. Usually, she held off until she got to the training field simply because she didn't want to waste energy, not when her training partners were a pair of sisters whose Aura reservoirs were so ridiculously large.

Absentmindedly, she happened to send one last glance over to where Yang and Ruby were only to suddenly blurt out, "What's wrong with Ruby's Aura?"

* * *

Yang stared at Weiss uncomprehendingly. "What do you mean?"

Weiss drew closer, her brow furrowing as she stared at apparently nothing. "I mean Ruby's Aura looks strange."

But Ruby wasn't using her Aura...unless…

"You can see passive Auras?" There was no other explanation.

"If I'm channeling my Aura, yes. You can't?"

Yang just shook her head. It was times like these that she remembered how incomplete Weiss's knowledge of Auras and Semblances was. Granted, it wasn't her fault. She and Ruby had already been filled in about how Weiss's older sister had only be able to teach her the bare basics before leaving. "No, and neither can Ruby. As far as I know, being able to see passive Auras is a pretty uncommon skill. Even Uncle Qrow's only met a few people who could do it."

This was big. Huge even. Yang and Uncle Qrow had gone all over the place, talking to healers, herbalists, apothecary owners, and anyone else who had some amount of medical knowledge, but what if they had been barking up the wrong tree the entire time? What if Ruby's fevers weren't a physical ailment, but one that originated from her Aura? This changed everything.

Yang chewed on the corner of her lip before she gave a resigned sigh and shook Ruby awake. Ruby curled up into an even tighter ball and her ears flattened.

"Sorry, Ruby. I wouldn't do this if it weren't important. Can you call on your Aura for me, just for a few seconds?"

Ruby hugged her cloak tighter and without opening her eyes, summoned her Aura.

Yang saw instantly what Weiss meant when she said Ruby's Aura looked strange. Normally, it was a bright red, but right now it looked like there were darker crimson bands running through it, bands so dark that they looked almost black. And it was behaving erratically, like a flame caught in a sudden gust of wind.

Ruby was only able to hold onto her Aura for a few seconds at most before she had to let it go.

"Ruby?" Yang touched Ruby's shoulder only to find her sweating and trembling. She was breathing hard as well. Yang's heart dropped. "Did that hurt?"

Ruby took a quivering breath and nodded.

"Where?"

Ruby signed, _Everywhere._

Yang's expression tightened. "How badly, on a scale from one to five?"

Ruby shook her head. Her hands moved, _On a scale from one to ten, seven or eight._

Yang couldn't help it. She scooped her baby sister up and cradled her close. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that would hurt you."

Ruby pressed her hot forehead to Yang's cheek. Yang could still feel how badly the girl was trembling, and it hurt. _I'm alright. Don't worry, I'm alright,_ she signed.

Yang drew in her own shaky breath and looked up at Weiss. "Weiss, can you come here for a sec?"

Weiss did as she was asked and as soon as the noble drew close enough, Yang pounced. She reached up as high as she could with the arm that wasn't supporting Ruby, caught Weiss, and dragged her down into a tight hug, ignoring the startled squawk from the other woman.

"Yang, what—"

"Thank you," Yang choked out, her throat tight.

Weiss stopped struggling. "...For what?"

"For giving us an answer. We've been trying to find out the cause of Ruby's fevers for years, and we've gotten nowhere. This is the first breakthrough we've ever had. So thank you."

"You're…welcome, but...I didn't do anything."

Yang's grip tightened. She could picture the exact expression that was probably on the noble's face right now. That confused, surprised, sometimes doubtful look that appeared whenever someone thanked her. It was like Weiss hadn't been thanked often enough in her life and now that she was, she didn't know how to react. It was like no one had ever taken the time to let her know that they appreciated her, and that was just so, _so_ sad. Between Yang and Ruby, Weiss was getting better at accepting thanks, but it was still a work in progress.

"You did, Weiss," Yang told her adamantly. "You might not think you did, but you really, really did." She finally let Weiss go so that she could look the noble straight in the eyes. "We finally have a clue, a place to start looking for answers, and we would have never thought to check Ruby's Aura when she's feverish like this. So thank you, so, _so_ much."

Ruby squirmed in Yang's grasp and wrapped an arm around the back of Yang's neck, pulling her in close. Then Ruby made grabby hands at Weiss, earning her a raised eyebrow from the noble and surprising a laugh out of Yang.

"Alright Ruby," Yang chuckled, "you get one group hug, but then you're lying right back down. I shouldn't have woken you up to begin with. You're supposed to be resting." Yang looked over at Weiss. "Sorry, but she's just going to keep pouting until she gets her group hug. Do you mind?"

The noble rolled her eyes, probably at Ruby's silly antics and Yang's quick capitulation to them, though her pink cheeks told Yang that she probably wasn't nearly as put out as she pretended to be. "I am well aware." She gave a resigned sigh that Yang was pretty sure was fake and scooted close enough for Ruby to drape an arm over the noble's shoulders and draw her in close, too.

Ruby hugged both of them, cuddling in as close as she could, until Yang could tell the feverish girl was starting to fall asleep again. Meeting Weiss's eyes in silent communication, the two of them worked together to ease Ruby out from between them and then laid her back down on her bedroll. Weiss set a new dampened washcloth on Ruby's forehead, while Yang did the same for Ruby's wrists. Sure, Ruby would probably knock them askew again since she liked sleeping on her side more than her back, most likely because the latter was uncomfortable for her tail for long periods of time, but it would still help her sleep more comfortably until then.

When Weiss finally wandered off to their makeshift training field like she had originally planned, Yang couldn't help but watch her go. It was so strange having someone other than Uncle Qrow helping her with Ruby when she was down like this and unlike Uncle Qrow, Weiss would be sticking around for the unforeseeable future. A small part of Yang was still uncertain of this new person in her and Ruby's life, but a much larger part of her felt...relieved. That hug just now and how Weiss had immediately gotten a new washcloth for Ruby's forehead without being prompted told Yang that without a doubt, Weiss cared for Ruby.

Loving and taking care of Ruby would never _ever_ become a burden, but sometimes when Yang's worries pressed in on her from all sides, things could get...heavy. But if Weiss cared for Ruby, too, then maybe Yang could relax a little. Even if Yang needed to close her eyes for a second or two just to breathe for a moment, maybe she could trust Weiss to be there to pick up the slack.

It was a scary thought, for what if Yang was wrong? What if Yang was placing her trust in the wrong person again and Ruby got hurt? And there was also that sense of guilt—the one that told Yang that relying on anyone meant she was slacking in her duties as an older sister.

Yang's eyes drifted down to where Ruby lay, already curled up on her side again. Yang picked up the fallen washcloths, all except for one, and tossed them back into the water basin before they left wet spots Ruby's bedroll. She reached out a hand and brushed Ruby's hair back so that she could lay the remaining damp washcloth on her forehead again, albeit off-center.

Ruby. The one good thing in Yang's life and the one that had always brought her the most joy and happiness. Her one light when things sometimes got dark. Her beacon. Her lighthouse. Her home.

Ruby trusted Weiss, and Ruby always did the right thing no matter how much more difficult it made her life. If Yang couldn't bring herself to fully trust Weiss, then maybe she should just trust Ruby who trusted Weiss. If Ruby was seeing something good and worthwhile in Weiss, then maybe Yang should quit worrying about all this and just _trust_.

Trust that Weiss wouldn't hurt them. Trust that she wouldn't betray them. Trust that she would never walk out on them without a word. Trust that she was worth trusting—that she was worth them opening up their hearts for her and letting her into their lives—because she was already starting to become a part of their lives. And Yang didn't know how to stop it...didn't know if she should stop it...didn't know if she wanted to stop it.

Sometimes it felt like Yang had two younger sisters now, and it was confusing the heck out of her. She and Ruby had taken on hundreds of jobs and not once had they ever grown so attached to one of their employers. Then again, they'd never taken on a job that had lasted quite this long before either, and never had one of those employers ever taken such an interest in Ruby's well-being. _That_ was the catalyst that made Yang start paying more attention to the young noble.

And for better or for worse, Yang found that she enjoyed working with Weiss and watching her grow into her Semblance. She liked seeing how silly Ruby could get when the girl was trying to coax a grudging smile out of the noble, who seemed to have been taught that smiling was bad or something to be avoided. Verbally sparring with Weiss was invigorating, and it was always fun to ruffle the noble's feathers because she always gave the best reactions. Yang was becoming just as fond of Weiss as Ruby was, and it...scared her. More than she'd ever admit aloud.

Yang let out a heavy sigh and ran her hand uneasily through her thick curls before giving herself a hard shake.

_Alright, enough brooding. Time to make something light so that Ruby has something to eat with her medicine later._

She gave Ruby one more gentle, loving caress (more for her own sake than Ruby's this time), replaced the washcloth on the girl's forehead with a fresh one, and went over to their food stores to see what she could throw together.


	15. Black Rock (Part I)

_Ruby was dreaming._

_She stood alone in a barren forest, her skin pale in the moonlight and the scars that criss-crossed her body even paler as they were bared for all the world to see. Here, she could not hide herself away with long sleeves and her cloak. Here, she could not protect herself with her swords and bow. Even the ever-present whistle around her neck, the symbol of her family's love, was nowhere to be found. Here, every single thing Ruby used to protect herself was gone, and she was left naked, alone, and defenseless._

_Her heart trembled, sending a ripple out to the rest of her body. The ripple turned into a quiver and suddenly, Ruby was running, her bare feet digging into the earth as she looked for any sign of Yang or Uncle Qrow—as she looked for any sign that she wasn't alone in this dark place. However, no matter how hard she strained her ears or how many times she lifted her nose to scent the air, she never got the sense there was any sign of life out there. No birds, no animals big or small, no trickle of water, not even the slightest breeze. There was nothing here, just complete and utter stillness. Emptiness. Even the trees around her seemed dead, their dry, leafless branches stretching impossibly high above her, shattering the black sky and the eerie moon into little fragments, reminding her strongly of cracks on a broken mirror._

_Ruby ran and ran, until she could run no longer. That was when_ _ **they**_ _found her._

_One by one, they appeared on the very edge of her senses. Their beady red eyes glared out at her from under their white, skull-like masks. Their powerful claws, hooves, talons, and whatever else scraped the earth or dug into the boughs above in hungry anticipation. Their growls, snarls, screams, and roars echoed out from seemingly everywhere. If the Grimm were even capable of hate, Ruby knew that at that moment, they hated her. Here in this dream world, they saw her as a threat and wanted more than anything to just rip her to pieces._

_Their bloodthirst slammed into her like a rolling wave, and Ruby's pulse leapt to her throat. She dropped into a defensive crouch, but she knew it was hopeless. She wasn't as strong and powerful as Yang. She wasn't as tenacious or crafty as Uncle Qrow. Without her swords and bow, without her protective cloak and whistle, without the love of those she cared about, Ruby was nothing._

_As though scenting her weakness, the Grimm crept closer and closer, circling her, waiting for a single moment of inattention so they could strike and destroy her. Then suddenly, they halted. Their cries dropped to a low, resentful rumble._

_A shiver ran up Ruby's spine. She and the Grimm weren't alone. Something else was out there—something much bigger and stronger than all of them. Just as the thought crossed her mind, a deep, air-rippling growl reverberated through the dark forest, causing Ruby's hair and fur to stand on end and making the Grimm around her shrink back. The earth boomed and trembled in regular intervals. Whatever was out there was drawing closer. Ruby's breathing hitched in spite of herself. It was coming._

* * *

Ruby bolted awake, trembling and drenched in cold sweat. Her heart raced and her lungs gasped as she tried to make sense of where she was and where the danger was coming from—except...there was no danger. There were no skeletal trees, no stalking Grimm, no unseen force approaching from the darkness—all she saw was a sloping canopy above her. The tent. She was in the tent.

Gradually, Ruby took in the rest of her surroundings. Her blankets lay twisted around her, forced into a chaotic mess from her nighttime thrashing. Her bedroll lay slightly rumpled beneath her. Yang slept on one side of her while Weiss was on the other.

When Ruby's fever suddenly spiked that first evening, her companions had shuffled her bedroll to the middle of the tent so that both of them could check on her throughout the night. Considering Ruby had woken up the next morning still feverish, laid out on her stomach with a damp towel stretched across her bare back, and covered only by a thin blanket, her temperature must have gotten dangerously high that night. Yang knew Ruby didn't like taking off her shirt in front of people because of the scars that littered her skin, so her older sister wouldn't have done it unless things had been dire.

Ruby flopped back down, both thankful and mildly surprised that her nighttime thrashing hadn't woken either of her companions. Then again, both Yang and Weiss were probably tired after staying up for several nights to make sure Ruby's fever didn't spike again. Now that the worst of her fever was over, they could finally make up for all that lost sleep.

Ruby closed her eyes and breathed in deeply through her nose, mentally cataloguing every scent to make sure everything was as it should be—to make sure everyone was safe and accounted for. Instantly, Yang and Weiss's scents filled her senses, reassuring and calming her, but it still wasn't quite enough. She opened her eyes, sat up, and got to her knees so that she could see both of her companions at once. She knelt there, utterly still, until she saw the steady rise and fall of their chests. Only then did she finally breathe a soft sigh of relief.

She turned her attention to outside the tent, listening for any sign that something might be amiss, but all she heard were the usual night sounds. Bats flying overhead and scooping insects out of the air, the distant sound of frogs singing out by the river, the wind blowing through the grass, the occasional yip or bark of a fox. All was well. Everyone was safe.

Ruby's thoughts turned inwards as her wolf ears folded back and her tail curled tightly around her body.

It was that dream again, the shadow dream, the dream she always had at least once, either during or after she had one of her fevers. Were they connected in some way?

And for some reason, the shadow dream always made her uneasy and made her want to check on everyone she cared about. Her urge to protect her people, to protect her pack, was never as strong as when she was thrust out of that dream. Maybe she was afraid that all the things in her dream would follow her out of it? And what was that thing, that presence, that always showed up at the end? Was it an enemy? An ally? Neither? And why did it keep showing up in her dreams? She didn't know.

Ruby's eyes fell to the gap between Yang and Weiss where her bedroll was. She wished it was narrower—wished that Yang and Weiss had fallen asleep slightly closer together so that Ruby could curl up against both of them at once. She didn't care if she got a little squished. She liked that feeling closeness, of being surrounded and pressing up against people who cared about her and who she cared about in return. Yang used to tease her about it, saying that Ruby was like a puppy curling up with all of its littermates, and Yang had been more right than she knew. That was exactly the case. There was just something extremely comforting about going to sleep and waking up with the scent and warmth of family—of...friends?—surrounding her.

Ruby glanced at Weiss, who was sleeping neatly on her back with her arms at her sides as she always did.

Was Weiss a friend? How did two people become friends anyway? Did it just happen or did Ruby have to ask if Weiss would be her friend? And technically Weiss was their employer. Were employers even allowed to be friends with the people they hired or did they all have to wait until the job was over? Maybe she should ask Yang how this friend business worked, because Ruby sort of, kind of, really wanted Weiss to be her friend.

Which was strange. And a little scary, because Ruby had always been fine with just Yang and Uncle Qrow. She'd never needed or even wanted to be close to anyone else before, but for some reason, Weiss made her feel otherwise. Like if it was Weiss, then maybe having a friend wouldn't be such a bad thing after all. People were scary, but Weiss wasn't. Well, Weiss could be a _little_ scary when she was irritated or mad, but she wasn't _scary-scary_.

Weiss would never hurt her just because she was a Faunus. She'd never look at Ruby's wolf ears and tail as if they were something disgusting, and she'd never look at Ruby, herself, as if she were something that shouldn't even exist. Because sometimes people did that. They'd be fine with Ruby until the moment they happened to catch sight of her lupine ears or tail and then everything changed. They'd give her that _look_ , the one that made Ruby feel so small inside and made her pull her hood even lower just so that she didn't have to see it again. The look that made Yang and Uncle Qrow get into arguments and fights on her behalf even though watching them get angry was the last thing Ruby ever wanted.

Weiss wasn't like those people, and she had never given Ruby that look. In fact, Weiss had even given Ruby ear rubs and helped her brush her tail out that one time! It had been so long since anyone had brushed out Ruby's tail for her. Yang used to do it for her when she was younger—before Ruby had gotten old enough to do it herself—and still did on occasion, but it had been a while since the last time she had offered. The two of them had just been so busy back in Patch and while they made sure to make time for cuddling every now and then, some of the other things they used to do had fallen by the wayside. Ruby promptly decided to remedy that as soon as possible. Maybe she would offer to brush Yang's hair for her tomorrow evening.

Also...Ruby wasn't entirely sure, but she had half-formed memories of someone else brushing her tail for her as well—memories that Ruby didn't even know she still had until that moment with Weiss. They weren't whole memories—more like fragments or brief impressions at best. Warm hands. A wooden comb. The gentle hum of someone singing a lullaby, the one that Yang sometimes still sang to her when Ruby was feeling particularly bad. A white cloak—her mother's cloak.

Ruby didn't know if it was the color of Weiss's hair overlapping with the cloak of her memories, or if it was simply the gentleness of Weiss's fingers as they combed through her fur that called Ruby's mind back to brighter times, but somehow Weiss had brought all those distant memories bubbling back to the surface. If those faint impressions and images were real, then Weiss had given a part of Ruby's mother back to her—the mother who was fading from Ruby's memories more and more with each passing year.

Ruby's heart had been so full then that she had unthinkingly treated Weiss like she would have treated Yang or Uncle Qrow, rubbing her cheek against the noble's shoulder affectionately in thanks. At first, Ruby had been a little worried that the cheek-nuzzle had upset Weiss, but when Weiss gave her wolf ears a gentle rub, Ruby knew things would be alright.

That was the moment that really made Ruby feel like she wanted to be friends with Weiss.

The feeling had been a long time coming, of course. Ever since Weiss had helped Ruby through her panic attack in Treline, Weiss had started feeling like a second Yang to Ruby—as if Ruby would always be safe with Weiss no matter what—as if Weiss could be family. The noble might still have her prickly moments, but the rest of the time she was really nice—like when she started teaching Ruby how to read and write!

And perhaps even more importantly, Weiss let Ruby cuddle with her when she wasn't feeling well. Yang-cuddles were great and all—they were warm and always made Ruby feel safe and protected—but Ruby wasn't allowed to have them when she was feverish. Plus, they weren't really soft; Yang had too much muscle for that.

Weiss-cuddles, on the other hand, were a lot softer. Not that Weiss was weak or anything like that, but she didn't have Yang's hard muscle or even Ruby's leaner muscle. And better yet, Weiss's extremities were always slightly cool to the touch, meaning Ruby could go to her for physical contact even when she had a fever and Yang wouldn't scold her. That is, as long as Weiss didn't mind Ruby getting all touchy with her. So far it seemed to be fine. True, Weiss still did this thing where she tensed up a little at first whenever Ruby reached out to her, but she always relaxed after a little while and lately even seemed to enjoy the contact.

It was extremely subtle though. The minute softening of Weiss's expression. A slight loosening of her shoulders. An almost unnoticeable exhalation through her nose, like a super tiny sigh.

It made Ruby think that maybe Weiss didn't dislike being touched as much as Ruby had first thought. Maybe she just wasn't used to it. Ruby was more than willing to help her get used to it if that was what Weiss wanted. Hugs were great, and everyone deserved the occasional hug!

It was why Ruby always made sure to hug Yang and Uncle Qrow whenever she had the chance. It made her feel better, and she knew it made them happier, too, even if Uncle Qrow liked to pretend she was making him look soft in front of the other Riders.

Ruby looked back down at her two sleeping companions with a little frown. If only one of them would scooch over _just_ a bit so that she could get double-snuggles. Though in hindsight, it was probably best that neither of them moved much in their sleep—that way Ruby never had to worry about one of them rolling over onto her tail in the middle of the night.

Well, Ruby was nothing if not stubborn and resourceful when it came to problem-solving. The question now was who should get primary snuggles and who should get secondary snuggles.

In the end though, there wasn't much of a choice. Yang never slept well when Ruby fell ill and now that Ruby was finally feeling better, she wanted Yang to get plenty of rest. Unfortunately, that meant Yang could only get secondary snuggles this time around. Ruby would have to give Yang extra hugs later to make up for it.

Her decision made, Ruby laid back down and stretched out her tail so that she could drape it over Yang's arm (which, as usual, had made its way out from under her blankets) and let the remainder run along her older sister's blanketed side. She made sure to keep her movements slow and light so as not to disturb her sister's rest. It wasn't ideal—Ruby would much rather have Yang pressed up against her back—but at least she could feel Yang's comforting warmth seeping into her tail. She had to fight the urge to wag the appendage lest she do exactly what she was trying not to do: wake her older sister.

Then Ruby scooched forward, shifting her body until she was lying diagonally across her bedroll so she could lightly rest her cheek against Weiss's upper arm while still keeping her tail in place. Unfortunately, Weiss must not have been sleeping deeply for her breathing suddenly stuttered and changed.

"Ruby…?" Weiss murmured, her voice still thick with sleep. "Is something wrong?"

Ruby's lupine ears drooped guiltily. She hadn't meant to wake Weiss, and she definitely hadn't wanted to make her worried.

Unaware of Ruby's silent dismay, the noble started shuffling around in the dark. Weiss pulled her arms out from under her blankets, rolled over onto her side, and reached out blindly towards the younger girl. Already knowing what Weiss was trying to do and well aware the noble couldn't see half as well as she could in the dark of the tent, Ruby lifted her head and met Weiss's questing hand with her forehead. She couldn't help but close her eyes briefly upon contact, relishing how nice the noble's cool hand felt against her skin.

Upon finding what she sought, Weiss pressed her hand even more firmly against Ruby's brow, any hesitancy she had once shown now entirely gone after spending several days helping Yang nurse Ruby back to health. Weiss held her hand there for a few seconds before she said softly, "You still feel a little warm, but not worryingly so. Do you feel alright?"

Ruby reached up, brought Weiss's hand down to her cheek, and nodded, holding the noble's hand in place so that she could feel Ruby's answer even if she couldn't see it.

"You don't feel sick?"

Ruby shook her head, privately enjoying the way Weiss was brushing her thumb along Ruby's cheekbone, a habit that Ruby was sure Weiss had picked up from Yang over the past few days. Ruby wasn't sure if Weiss was aware she was doing it, but she didn't want her to stop. It felt really nice—different than Yang's touch, to be sure, but still nice.

Weiss fell silent, and Ruby could see the noble's brow furrowing as she tried to figure out why Ruby had woken her up. Oh well, since the noble was already awake, there was no sense in not taking advantage of the moment.

Ruby scooched forward some more and this time, pressed her cheek firmly against Weiss's shoulder before briefly snuggling in, her request plain. She pulled back slightly to check the noble's expression, hoping Weiss wouldn't mind.

Weiss's thoughts and emotions fluttered across her eyes far too quickly for Ruby to read any of them, but eventually Weiss gave a sigh, grumbled something that sounded a lot like, "cuddlebug," and rolled back over onto her back. Then, to Ruby's great surprise and glee, Weiss scooted a little closer and held the corner of her blanket up slightly, a clear invitation if Ruby ever saw one.

Grinning widely, Ruby quickly fixed her own mussed blankets so that they covered her more thoroughly, made sure her tail was still brushing up against her older sister, and then nestled her cheek once again against Weiss's shoulder. Once Ruby was settled, Weiss draped the corner of the blanket she had been holding up over as much of Ruby's shoulders as it could reach.

"Now go back to sleep," Weiss said, her words already sounding drowsy again.

Ruby nuzzled her cheek against Weiss's shoulder in response, closed her eyes, and slowly drifted back off to sleep, letting scent and comfort of companionship gradually wash away the last of the unease left behind by her shadow dream.

* * *

Ruby ended up having two more fever attacks in the course of roughly as many weeks, though thankfully the following two bouts of fever weren't nearly as bad as the first. Ruby's first fever had lasted three days and spiked so sharply that both Weiss and Yang stayed up all night that first night. When they weren't waking Ruby up to get her to drink another dose of her medicinal tea, they were constantly wiping down her overheated body with cool, damp cloths, desperately trying to keep her temperature from rising any higher. Yang had told Weiss to go to sleep more than once, but she couldn't. She had been far too worried about their youngest member to even think about falling asleep.

Also...Weiss didn't like the idea of leaving Yang to worry over Ruby all alone either. It almost physically hurt to see how worried Yang was and how she pushed that concern away time and time again to greet her little sister with a soft smile whenever the girl was cognizant enough to respond. The sheer tenderness and care with which Yang treated Ruby with made Weiss's heart ache. How different Weiss's life could have been if her family—if her _father_ —had even a fraction of the amount of affection Yang and Ruby had for each other. Once Ruby's fever fell, Yang and Weiss started taking turns, sleeping in shifts so that someone was always awake to monitor Ruby's temperature.

More than once, Weiss used her Aura-sight to check on Ruby's Aura and as expected, the girl's Aura had those dark bands of crimson running through it every single time. It seemed the bands got darker and thicker as her temperature rose and thinned when her temperature went back down. Weiss had never seen anything like it and neither had Yang, but Yang remained outwardly optimistic. All they had to do was find someone well-versed in Auras and luckily, Vytal was the central hub of all Huntsman and Huntress activities because it was where the Huntsman and Huntress licensing exams took place every year.

It was after Ruby had taken another dose of her medicinal tea and was dozing in the tent during her third fever attack that Yang pulled Weiss aside to speak with her.

Yang took a moment to fetch their map of Atlas and laid it out so both of them could look at it.

"This is roughly where we are now," Yang said as she tapped a spot on the map with her forefinger. Then her finger slid over to a symbol that lay somewhat farther west than their current route would take them. The symbol looked like three pine trees surrounded by a circle. "And this is a mining town by the name of Black Rock." Yang hesitated before adding, "Uncle Qrow told me that this is where he's been getting Ruby's medicine."

_Oh. So that's what this is about._

Weiss looked closer at the map. To get to Black Rock, they'd have to cross several streams and trek partway up a mountain, assuming the map was accurate. It would undoubtedly add at least an extra week or so to their journey. They weren't on a timetable, but Weiss had still hoped they would be able to reach the Vytal-Atlas border before the snows hit. Unfortunately, all of their recent delays made that unlikely. The three of them expected it to snow any day now, and they'd already had several mornings where it had been so cold that the morning dew had turned to frost.

From the corner of her eye, Weiss saw Yang lean forward, rest her elbows on her knees, and bring her hands together to form one tight fist, revealing to Weiss just how tense the other woman was right now.

"We're not out of Ruby's medicine," Yang continued. "And we probably have enough to last a while, but since it's on the way, I was thinking we should stop by anyway and get some more just in case.

"The thing about Ruby's fevers is that they're not regular, like, at all. Sometimes she'll go for months without having one, only to have a really bad one followed by several weaker fevers like she did this time. Other times she'll have a whole bunch of weak ones fairly regularly before they taper off again. We just never _know_." Yang's voice shook at the last word, and she swallowed hard to steady it. "And I don't know if they'll have the right herbs and stuff when we get to Vytal, like, what if some of the plants are only native to Atlas? It might take time for us to get more once we cross the border, or it might get super expensive, or—"

"Yang," Weiss interrupted before the other woman could get any more worked up. "Calm down. Of course we can go."

Yang turned to the noble and blinked. Her mouth flopped open and closed a few times before she said, "Really? You're sure?"

The hopeful doubt in Yang's voice hurt more than Weiss wanted to admit. Did Yang really think she was so cold and heartless as to refuse to pick up medicine for someone who so clearly needed it? To refuse to pick up medicine for _Ruby_?—after everything the young girl had done for her?

"Of course!" Weiss snapped, far more sharply than she intended.

Yang stiffened at the harshness of her tone, and Weiss was forced to close her eyes and take a deep breath before continuing. She only opened her eyes again when she was certain her emotions were back under control.

"Of course," she repeated, her voice softer. "It's one of our rules, right? Take care of each other. So this is us taking care of Ruby. We're going to this...this Black Rock place to get more medicine, and that's final."

Yang stared at Weiss, those lilac eyes of hers flickering with thoughts, before she suddenly said, "I'm sorry."

Caught by surprise, Weiss asked cautiously, "For...what? Exactly?"

"I hurt you. I didn't mean to, but I hurt you."

Weiss could feel her expression harden at the implication that she cared about what Yang thought of her. That she was _weak_ enough to be hurt by the other woman's apparent lack of positive regard.

Then Weiss remembered that Yang wasn't her father; that she _did_ care what the sisters thought of her, for better or for worse; and that thus far, their positive regard of her had done more good for her than bad.

The way her thoughts had flip-flopped so instantaneously made her want to groan. Allowing herself to have emotions was so frustrating sometimes.

"Were you ever planning to tell me about any of this?" Weiss asked quietly, hating the thread of insecurity that had woven its way into her voice.

Would the sisters ever have told her about Ruby's fevers or that they needed to go to Black Rock for more medicine if Ruby hadn't fallen ill? Was Weiss so untrustworthy that they couldn't have mentioned any of this sooner?

A part of Weiss recognized that she was being unreasonable—that she couldn't possibly expect the sisters to share every aspect of their lives with her when she was such a relatively new addition to their lives—but it hurt nonetheless.

Weiss refused to look at Yang directly lest the ridiculously perceptive woman read more from her than she was prepared to show.

"Aw no, Weiss, it's not—that's not—"

Yang made a frustrated sound and when Weiss chanced a brief glance, she saw the golden-haired woman was rubbing her face roughly with both hands. Weiss looked away again before Yang could catch her staring. Eventually, Weiss sensed rather than saw Yang turn her head back towards her as the noble kept her eyes locked on the map between them.

"Look, Weiss, it's not you, alright? It's...it's me...being silly and foolishly hopeful and…" —Yang breathed a heavy sigh and her next words were so quiet that Weiss doubted she would have caught them had she not been practically right next to the other woman— " _and scared_."

The tremor in Yang's voice brought Weiss's eyes back up. It was only then that Weiss noticed the weary cast of Yang's shoulders and the bags beneath her eyes.

 _She's tired_ , Weiss realized. Had Yang slept at all even though she had been the one to suggest taking turns so that each of them could get some rest? Or had she only pretended to sleep and instead spent the entire time lying awake and worrying about her little sister?

Yang continued as if she'd forgotten Weiss was even there, her eyes uncharacteristically downcast. "She's been getting these fevers for so long, and every time I hope and _pray_ that this fever will be the last one. That she won't have to suffer through one of these things again, because they take so much out of her. And we've been lucky so far, but what if we run out of luck? What if one of these times, she can't bounce back like she normally does? What do we do then?"

Yang's lilac eyes were glistening when she turned to meet Weiss's crystalline blue ones. "It's not that we didn't want to tell you. It's just...I don't want to think about Ruby being sick until I absolutely have to. I hate it so, so much. I hate seeing her lying there so sick and tired. I hate seeing her so miserable and weak. I hate that I can't do anything for her to make things better. I hate that all I can do is sit there and worry." Yang ran a hand through her hair agitatedly as she choked out the words.

Weiss hesitated a moment before she lifted a hand and placed it lightly on Yang's shoulder as Yang, herself, so often did for Weiss. She half expected the other woman to pull away from her touch and was rather surprised when she didn't.

"You are helping her," Weiss found herself saying. She pulled her hand back awkwardly and gripped it tightly, trying to find the right words to help. She wasn't good at this sort of thing, but something compelled her to try regardless. "You're there looking out for her, getting her medicine ready, taking care of her, even holding her hand whenever she asks for it. And every time you do, she wags that tail of hers and her expression relaxes." Weiss took a deep breath, feeling the weight of Yang's widening eyes on her. "I know it's not my place to say this, but you _are_ making things better. Even if it doesn't feel like it, you are."

_I know you are because ever since I've met the two of you, I've felt the same way._

How many times had Yang's encouraging words or Ruby's unbridled enthusiasm dragged her from her frustration when her training wasn't going the way she planned? How many times had one of the sisters done something for her—set up her bedroll for her when she was particularly tired or something similarly considerate—and suddenly she was filled with a strange sense of honest gratitude and warmth? How often had a simple smile or pat on the shoulder flipped her mood around entirely even though she might have been feeling less than gracious only moments before?

How did it even make sense that such simple things now meant more to her than all the riches and comforts of her previous life?

Weiss fell silent, lost in her own thoughts, and a long silence stretched between the two of them.

Eventually, Yang was the one to break the silence, her voice slightly rougher than usual. "Thanks, Weiss."

Weiss just nodded in return, breathing a small sigh of relief when she saw that her awkward words had indeed helped, if only a little. At the very least, Yang's shoulders had straightened and that despondent look had mostly left her eyes. For now, it would have to be enough. Although...

Weiss rose to her feet. "Shall I see if I can catch a fish or two for supper?" Perhaps if Weiss took responsibility for tonight's supper, Yang could relax a little and focus more on Ruby instead of worrying about all the other things that needed to be done around camp.

Yang had just tucked the map under her arm and was about to walk away when Weiss spoke. The taller woman's brow quirked up. "Uhh...I don't mind, but no screaming this time? Ruby needs her rest."

Weiss's cheeks reddened. "I only did that the one time!"

It had been unavoidable! How was she to know that fishing required bait, and that the bait Ruby would hand her would be a grotesque, fat, appallingly large, brown-headed, white-bodied, monstrous grub that made her skin crawl just looking at it. Surely anyone would have jumped and shrieked had a certain wolf Faunus suddenly plopped one into the palm of their hand with no warning. Yes, Weiss had been wearing gloves (gloves that she had promptly removed and wouldn't touch again until Ruby wiped them down with a little of their precious soap and water), but _still_. Even the thought of the revolting creature was enough to send shudders down her spine.

In the end, Ruby had gone digging for earthworms for Weiss to use instead—which were only mildly less repulsive—but at least she could touch them without cringing too much. Since then, Ruby had fashioned an earthworm-holding container (complete with a lid) out of the cross-section of a hollowed out tree branch, and filled it with damp soil which she exchanged with new soil regularly. Supposedly, the soil kept the creatures alive, though how any creature could subsist solely on dirt was beyond Weiss's understanding. Whenever Ruby went digging for bait, she would plop any larger earthworms she found into the container for Weiss's sake. That way, the noble wouldn't have to go digging around in the dirt whenever she decided to try her hand at fishing and _far_ more importantly, she wouldn't have to worry about possibly finding and touching one of those horrendous grubs. Weiss's gratitude had been so great at that moment that she had offered Ruby a rare, appreciative, though somewhat awkward hug, something that Ruby had accepted with a ridiculous amount of tail-wagging enthusiasm.

"Yeah, and I'm pretty sure my hearing hasn't been the same since." The grin on Yang's face told Weiss that she was just poking fun at her, yet again.

"Hmph! Well see if I share whatever fish I catch with you tonight! Maybe I'll just cook it and split it with Ruby, and _you'll_ be stuck with cold, hard jerky." Which was probably one of the weakest retorts Weiss could come up with since Yang seemed to like meat no matter what form it was in—unlike Weiss, herself—and had no problem with jerky. And then there was that little issue of Weiss still being relatively new to fishing, meaning she probably wouldn't be able to catch anything unless she was particularly lucky today…

Still, Weiss turned her nose up into the air and crossed her arms for good measure, playing up the part of a haughty noble to the best of her ability, ignoring the way her cheeks were heating up.

The light chuckle that reached her ears made all this...foolishness...worth it.

A stray thought crossed her mind. _I wonder if this is how Ruby feels when she does her best to make Yang or myself smile or laugh_.

"And what a tragedy that would be," Yang said as she gave one last chuckle before sobering up, though a small smile remained on her face. She met Weiss's eyes, and Weiss knew then that Yang knew exactly what Weiss had been trying to do just now. Knew it, and appreciated it. Which, for some reason, made Weiss feel even more embarrassed than before.

The young noble looked away, wishing she had a way to hide her flaming cheeks. Thankfully, Yang said nothing more. The taller woman only patted Weiss's shoulder lightly before moving away.

Weiss stood there for a moment longer, letting the last of her embarrassment ebb away, before wandering off to locate and borrow Ruby's fishing gear. And to find that little bait container. If Weiss recalled correctly, Ruby kept it in one of her pack's outer pockets...

* * *

As soon as Ruby had recovered, the three of them headed for Black Rock. It took about three days of continuous travel (Yang decided to cancel group training sessions for a while to give Ruby extra time to recover before letting her use her Aura again) to reach the edge of the open hill country, and suddenly they were back to being surrounded by trees. Another four days and they had reached their destination. Yang left all of her things with Ruby and Weiss (except for a light canvas sack that she would use to carry any purchases she made) and gave the other two strict instructions to avoid all people before heading into town alone.

The Black Pines Apothecary ended up being smack dab in the middle of Black Rock. Yang soon learned that the name "Black Rock," literally referred to coal, the mining town's main commodity.

As Uncle Qrow had told Yang all those months ago, the town was fairly large. It stretched out between the side of the mountain where the mines probably were and a forest that was gradually thinning due to human activity.

Yang was surprised so many people could survive out here. The rocky earth probably made any sort of farming difficult, judging by the meager gardens dotting the cleared land just outside the town palisades. The gardens were few in number (compared to the apparent number of people living in the town) and what few crops still hadn't been harvested were rather stunted looking. Either the mines were rich enough to let the townspeople trade for what they needed or they had other ways to supplement for what they lacked. Perhaps they traded lumber as well?

Upon entering the town, Yang found that the people were friendly enough and seemed used to the occasional stranger. She only had to stop and ask a single person to find out where she could restock up on travel supplies and where the Black Pines Apothecary was. Yang chose to pick up supplies first, all of which went into her canvas sack.

Once her newly purchased supplies were squared away, Yang headed straight for the apothecary. Like all the other buildings in town, it was made of wood and had a raised porch to help keep the entryway from getting snowed in during the winter months. Yang knew she was in the right place because the building had the apothecary emblem (three pines in a circle) forged out of wrought iron and hanging outside from an extended roof beam. As Yang pushed open the door, she heard a musical tinkle. Looking around, she noticed someone had tied a string of bells to the inner door handle.

"Just a minute," a gruff voice called out from the back.

Yang took a minute to glance around the store. Like most apothecaries and herbalist shops she had visited over the years, the storefront was narrow, providing only enough room for a handful of customers to stand or sit as they waited for their order to be completed. There was a narrow bench in the corner opposite to where the door opened and a tall stool in front of the store counter, but that was about it. The rest of the building was dedicated to storing all the herbs and medicines. Rows and rows of small wooden drawers lined every wall, and there were several sturdy wooden shelves in the center of the space that housed jars and bottles of all different sizes and shapes.

To be honest, it looked a lot like the inside of the workshop Yang had built for Ruby behind their cabin back in Patch—a sea of organized chaos. Yang couldn't help but smile a little at the familiarity of the place. Memories of watching Ruby tinker around in her workshop rose up from the back of Yang's mind. Ruby's tail would be hanging off the back of her stool, wagging whenever something she was working on was going well, and her wolf ears would flick this way and that as she concentrated.

It helped Yang relax as she waited. Not that she was tense, exactly, but she hadn't liked leaving Ruby's side so soon after her little sister's last string of fevers. Unfortunately, Yang hadn't much of a choice. There was no way she would bring Ruby into a town that Uncle Qrow told her was anti-Faunus.

Thankfully, Ruby hadn't had another fever since the first three and even if she did get another one, Weiss was with her. After helping Yang care for Ruby through three fever bouts, the noble knew exactly what to do now in the event that Ruby got another fever. Yang could trust her to look after Ruby until she returned.

Yang's thoughts wandered further and as usual, they turned to other not so pleasant thoughts.

In between Ruby's fevers, the girl had just enough energy to check on their distant followers and lo and behold, they had seemingly caught up and were still traveling parallel to the three of them. While Yang was well aware that their map might not have every town and every road noted on it—that there was a chance, however slight, that the other four travelers just happened to be heading to an unmarked location on the map that mirrored Yang, Ruby, and Weiss's route—the rest of Yang felt it was all too much of a coincidence.

Even if there was a chance the four travelers in the distance were heading to a place that mirrored the trio's route, there was no way they would have stayed so consistently nearby. Between the days the trio spent camping because of Ruby's fevers and the time they spent training instead of traveling a few extra miles each day, the distant travelers should have overtaken them and moved on ahead long ago. Instead, they were still out there, hovering like a pesky swarm of flies.

Then after Yang, Ruby, and Weiss had decided to take the detour to Black Rock to get more of Ruby's medicine, Ruby reported a few days later that two of the distant travelers had suddenly disappeared, and the remaining two had changed direction and were heading away from them. The next evening when the trio stopped for camp, Ruby told her that the two that had changed direction were now out of range. Yang breathed a small sigh of relief upon hearing that they were gone, but what had happened to the other two? Had they fallen to Grimm or perhaps a wild animal?

Ruby offered to venture out farther to see what she could find out, but Yang didn't want to let Ruby out of her sight when there were so many uncertainties about this whole situation. Grimm, she knew Ruby could handle, but when it came to human adversaries? Ruby sometimes held back or hesitated when she shouldn't. Both Yang and Uncle Qrow had tried to break Ruby of the habit multiple times but still it persisted. If there was even a quarter of a chance that Ruby might run into the two missing people and they turned out to be perfectly fine, Yang didn't want to risk Ruby facing them alone. That, and Ruby was still recovering from her fevers, meaning she shouldn't be running around on her own anyway. What if something happened to her while she was out there and she was too far away for Weiss and Yang to hear her whistle?

After Weiss had caught Yang and Ruby discussing the issue one too many times, Yang finally told the noble about the situation. To Yang's surprise, Weiss had been surprisingly calm about it, stating plainly that even if something did happen, the three of them were practically Huntresses and therefore fairly well prepared to take on most threats.

Yang couldn't help but grin at the noble's straightforward assessment. It was hard to believe that this was the same young woman who had been so nervous the first time they had encountered a small pack of Beowolves. She'd come so far since then and was still going strong. It was good to see.

An uneven, three-beat thudding sound echoed out from the back of the shop, dragging Yang away from her thoughts. She lifted her gaze to see an older man, whose ponytailed hair and grizzled chin were more salt than pepper, making his way to the store counter. The odd cadence of his steps turned out to be because the man had a peg-leg and was using a well-worn cudgel as a walking stick to help him keep his balance. The man's sharp, dark brown eyes swept over Yang as he reached the counter.

"Greetings, stranger. Rather late in the season to be traveling into the mountains," the man said as he leaned his cudgel against the nearby wall and levered himself down onto a second stool that Yang only just noticed was on the other side of the counter.

Yang gave a light shrug and offered the man a friendly smile. "Yeah, but an old bird told me this is the only place where I can get the medicine I need."

The man's bushy brow rose in question. "Would you happen to know the name of this old bird?"

"A Rider and ex-Huntsman by the name of Qrow Branwen. He's my uncle." Seeing that the name rang a bell, Yang asked, "Are you Kuromatsu?"

"I am." Kuromatsu looked her over a second time. "Huh—wouldn't have pegged you as one of his lot. Don't see much family resemblance to be honest."

Yang shifted uncomfortably though she kept her smile. "You wouldn't. I take after my father, and Qrow's my uncle on my mother's side."

The man grunted in understanding. "You don't look much like a pipsqueak, so you're the one he calls 'Firecracker'?"

Yang grinned. "Got it in one. He talks about us?"

"A little. Not as much as you'd think. Still, doesn't take a genius to see how much the man cares about his two nieces."

Kuromatsu was about to say something more when they both heard the sudden clanging of a large bell echoing out over the town.

Yang tensed almost immediately.

A town like this would only need a bell that large for one reason: warning the townsfolk of a Grimm attack.

Yang was already moving by the time Kuromatsu hurriedly levered himself off his stool and took his cudgel in hand again. She tossed her canvas sack over the counter for safekeeping and met the older man's eyes.

"Which way do I go?" she asked him.

While the big cities might have a bell located at each of its gates or at each of the cardinal directions to warn which direction a Grimm attack might be coming from, a smaller town like this could probably only afford having one bell made, meaning Yang shouldn't just run blindly towards the sound.

The man took one look at her, his eyes making her feel oddly scrutinized, and then replied, "Look towards the bell and a flag should be going up to tell you which way the Grimm are coming from."

Well, that'd be easy enough. The four cardinal directions had long been associated with the four provinces and thus shared the colors of their provincial emblems. North was white for Atlas, east was blue for Mistral, south was yellow for Vacuo, and west was green for Vale.

Yang nodded in acknowledgement and rushed out the door.

* * *

It turned out that the Grimm were pouring out of one of the mine entrances.

Yang would discover later that the miners had been trying to open up a new mine shaft and accidentally broke into a subterranean cavern filled with Creeps, a bipedal, claw-footed, thick-tailed, mutant Grimm that broke the mold by not resembling any normal creature. Creeps were vaguely reptilian with their pebbled bone armor, stubby skulls, and sharp fangs, but walked more like some sort of bird. They could stand as tall as a man's chest, were devastatingly strong and unexpectedly fast, and even if one managed to avoid their lunging bites, that heavy tail of theirs could send a man flying with a single swing.

Yang hated Creeps.

She was fine against one or two of them, but they were annoying when they swarmed. Unlike Beowolves, Creeps were hardy enough that Yang couldn't take them out with just one or two hits unless she was heavily boosting her strength with Aura or her Semblance. Plus, their attack radius was wider than Yang's. While Yang had to get up close and personal to deal any damage, they could easily tag her at five feet with their thick tails or powerful lunges.

"Keep moving!" Yang bellowed at the escaping miners as she raced to take out the closest set of Creeps.

Yang summoned her Aura as she ran. It wrapped around her, sending her blood pumping and putting a wild smile on her face. This was the only good thing about Grimm hunting. It was the only time she could really let loose and let her Semblance burn without having to worry about hurting someone or breaking something. Well, she _supposed_ she should still worry about breaking stuff. But it wasn't entirely her fault if a Grimm ended up flying farther than she expected it to, right?

Yang slid to a stop, pivoted the entire right side of her body back, and blasted her fist forward into a Creep that was inches away from catching one of the fleeing miners. She might not have her cestuses, but she could still pack a punch. She smirked inwardly at her own joke and made a note to remember it so that she could use it again sometime later. Seeing the look of utter exasperation on Weiss's face would be so worth it. It might even be good enough to get Yang an eye roll from the noble, which, of course, would make Ruby smile as well.

Yang had left the battle gloves in question with the rest of her things outside of town. One, because Yang hadn't wanted to advertise her warrior status (it would make her stand out far too much considering female fighters were a rarity in Atlas these days); and two, because this was supposed to be a quick trip and Yang hadn't been expecting any trouble. There _shouldn't_ have been any trouble. Seriously, what was with this timing? It was like traveling with Uncle Qrow all over again...which could be pretty exciting so she didn't actually mind his bad luck Semblance all that much, at least not as much as he did. But right now she just wanted to get Ruby's medicine and get back to Ruby and Weiss before her baby sister went off and did something crazy or dangerous again. Or did something crazy _and_ dangerous.

The Creep hissed in pain as it crashed into two of its companions. They wouldn't be down long, but it still bought the escaping miners a little extra time.

Yang glanced back to see the town gates were nearly closed and that a handful of men were standing by, ready to pull them all the way shut once everyone had gotten to safety. Several other men and even a few women stood on the palisade walkways with bows or crossbows at the ready. One man even had what looked to be a handful of javelins.

Yang grinned. It was always nice to deal with people who had a decent Grimm defense plan in place. It meant she could focus solely on monster extermination rather than organizing panicking townsfolk.

Yang dodged just as another Creep lunged at her, and she slammed her Aura-infused fist just behind its thick bone mask, sending an Aura-spike straight through the back of its neck where it lacked armor. The creature collapsed with a hissing keen as whatever served as its spine was severed in two. Its head and jaws continued thrashing, but its body only twitched. Yang had always found it odd that although Grimm didn't look like they had bones or organs, they still took damage and reacted as if they did.

Yang flipped backwards just as a Creep's tail whipped through the space she had been occupying. There was a flash of white in the corner of her eye, and she brought her arms up just in time to protect herself from a third Creep's lunging headbutt. She grunted as her Aura took the hit, and she could feel her temperature slowly rising as her Semblance absorbed and started multiplying the energy. The raw power simmered beneath her skin, ready to explode the moment she chose to release it.

A hissing snarl split the air behind her, and Yang simultaneously dropped to the ground and launched a backwards Aura-kick into a Creep's throat from below, sending it a good four feet into the air. She rolled out of the path of another attack and used the momentum to get her feet back under her.

Two Creeps lunged at her, their jaws opened wide and revealing rows of sharp fangs. Yang dropped again and managed to send a powerful uppercut into the bottom of one set of jaws, but the other Creep took advantage of the distraction caused by its brethren to snap its jaws shut around her other forearm. Yang gritted her teeth as she felt the Creep's fangs trying to break through her defensive Aura. It felt like her entire forearm was being stabbed with a multitude of red-hot knives.

Yang's body grew warmer with each passing second as her Semblance continued to do its thing. She didn't want to reach full capacity too soon so she grabbed a pinch of her stored energy and bashed the Creep on her arm with her other fist until it let go.

Something thick and heavy slammed into her from behind, throwing her forward. She turned her tumble into a controlled roll and got right back to her feet as soon as she was clear. She turned, ignoring the bone-bruising pain radiating across her entire back; caught the next Creep tail coming her way with a growl by trapping it against her side; and heaved at it with all her Aura-infused strength. She spun the Grimm in a circle, effectively bowling over all the Creeps that had been trying to swarm her, and then flung it into another set of Creeps.

Snarling, a new wave of Creeps immediately started closing in, and Yang could see the Creeps she had just dealt with wobbling to their feet again just behind them.

 _Stupid blunt force-resistant Grimm,_ Yang thought with a grimace. She tightened her fists as she watched the new wave approach.

This really wasn't good. Not only was she surrounded and outnumbered, but her style of fighting was at a clear disadvantage here. Unless Yang could deal a decisive blow, the Creeps would just keep getting up.

It was at that moment, Yang sorely missed having Ruby and Weiss at her back. Both of the swordswomen would be in a far better position to face off against these Creeps than herself. Their blades would be able to slip between the gaps in the Creeps' armor far more easily than Yang's fists could, and their greater mobility would allow them to dance circles around the Grimm.

 _Maybe I should pick up weapons training again…but then again, there's nothing quite like sending a Grimm flying with just your fists or wrestling an Ursa into submission through sheer raw strength_ , she thought as the Creeps crossed the seven-foot line.

It was then that Yang felt a strange tingle of energy sweep past her, and the ground around her suddenly exploded. Instinctively, Yang shielded herself as she was pelted with dirt and soil from all directions. When the air finally cleared and Yang lifted her head, she stared in shock as all the nearby Creeps seemed to have been impaled by wooden spears that had erupted from the ground.

No, they weren't spears. Were those... _tree branches?_ Yes, yes they were. It looked like tree limbs had suddenly sprouted up from the ground, impaling everything in their way, leaving a good fifteen or so Grimm pinned in the air. It was brutal but highly effective.

Yang turned around to see the old man, Kuromatsu, standing just outside the town gate. He had his arm outstretched and his hand closed in an upwards fist that Yang recognized as a method of Semblance activation. She and Ruby didn't need those sorts of focusing methods since they had physical Semblances, but Weiss sometimes did something similar with her offhand whenever she was summoning her Glyphs.

 _His Semblance must allow him to manipulate wood._ Yang wondered offhandedly if his Semblance was limited to either dead or living wood. Or maybe he could manipulate both?

Yang started retreating to his side, slamming her fists into a few Grimm stranglers as she went, and he limped forward to meet her. Once they had reached each other, each of them turned so that they stood back to back as the remaining Creeps began to regroup.

"That's a pretty neat Semblance you got there," she said. "Thanks. You saved my butt."

The old man snorted. "Did I now? Seems to me you were doing just fine. Did you know your hair's starting to shimmer?"

Yang glanced down and realized he was right. "I was a little distracted," she admitted.

Yang launched a spinning kick at a Creep that had ventured too close, and a thud and subsequent hiss told her that Kuromatsu had just dealt with his own Grimm behind her. _The old man's got skill. Wonder if he's an ex-Huntsman or something._

"How many times can you use that trick of yours?" Yang asked, grunting as she let loose a series of devastating Aura-punches against another Creep. When it finally fell, it didn't get back up.

"Not many," Kuromatsu said. "Maybe twice more if I'm forced to reawaken dead wood and if I keep the area of effect small. Three or four times if I can use live wood. Unfortunately, all the trees around here have already readied themselves for winter so they're basically the same as dead wood until spring."

Well, that answered Yang's earlier question. It was a pretty awesome Semblance, even if the old man could only use it a few times.

Yang glanced around the battlefield after knocking back another Creep and blanched. A fresh wave of Creeps had just crawled out of the mine.

Yang growled as she wiped the sweat from her brow. "We gotta close up that entrance!"

"We can't," Kuromatsu shot back, his voice rough from exertion. "The mines are the town's lifeblood. Close up even one mine, and they won't be able to survive the coming year."

"Then what do we do?" Yang drew on a little more of her stored energy as she pounded, kicked, blocked, and sidestepped Creeps that were only growing bolder as reinforcements poured out of the mines. Another Creep tail whipped towards her and she wasn't quite fast enough to avoid it. It smacked her across her temple, temporarily blinding her, and a second Grimm barreled into her, knocking her down. A third Grimm leapt on top of her, trying to eviscerate her with its clawed feet. Yang hissed as its claws dug into her Aura, sending fiery streaks of pain across her ribs and stomach. She barely got her arm up in time to prevent the creature from closing its jaws over her head and for the second time that day, she went through the agony of a giant monster trying to tear her arm off.

Yang lost it.

With an enraged warcry, her Semblance exploded. Every inch of her body thrummed with power, making the air seem to shimmer around her. She launched the Creep off of her, rolled to her feet, and leapt into the closest cluster of Creeps. Every skull-mask that met her fists caved in, and every limb, tail, or neck that got too close to her shattered under the force of her blows. She kept moving, kept punching and kicking—even throwing in the occasional headbutt when the need called for it. She was only vaguely aware of where Kuromatsu was, just enough so that she didn't accidentally get him caught up in her rain of fury. When Yang's energy finally ran out and she came back to herself, she and Kuromatsu were standing in a wide circle that was entirely empty of Creeps and covered with Grimm-ash. The remaining Creeps had retreated back, perhaps recognizing that if they came any closer, they would die like the rest of their companions.

Yang stood there with heaving lungs and dripping with sweat. Her arms and legs trembled, but she quickly worked through each of her muscle groups to shake off her after-Semblance unsteadiness as quickly as possible. They weren't out of the woods yet and who knew how many more Creeps might find their way out of the mine.

She checked her Aura levels and knew she could keep going. She had to keep going. There was an unprotected town behind her and judging by the fact Kuromatsu, an old man with a peg-leg, was the only one out here on the battlefield with her, the town's only protection against the Grimm was a wooden palisade and a few archers. And unfortunately, a few measly arrows wouldn't be enough to take down a Creep, and Creeps were strong enough to ram right through the palisade if they made a concentrated effort.

That was when Yang heard it—that familiar piping of a small handheld whistle that she knew was always around a certain wolf Faunus's neck. However, instead of relief, a stab of icy fear filled her chest.

_No, Ruby, I told you to stay away from town!_

But at the same time, Yang knew she and Kuromatsu needed help. There were just too many Creeps for them to deal with at once.

So Yang took a deep breath, shoved away her fear to deal with later, and tried to placate herself with the knowledge that this had been bound to happen the moment the Grimm appeared. Ruby would always step in if she knew that someone was in trouble, and with her sense of hearing, there was no way she wouldn't have heard all the commotion here at the mines. And Yang was pretty sure that if Ruby was on her way, then a certain noble would be on her way as well.

It was as unexpected as it was amusing how Weiss could sometimes be even more protective than Yang when it came to Ruby running headfirst into a Grimm fight. The thought brought a small smile to Yang's face. She did not envy her little sister, who had been on the receiving end of more than one scolding from their noble companion after doing something particularly crazy in battle.

Yang took another calming breath before squaring her shoulders, bringing her fists back up, and widening her stance once more.

Help was on its way. She and Kuromatsu only had to hold out for a little while longer. Then the real battle would begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last completed chapter that I have. Chapter 16 is in the works. I need to write out one or two more scenes for it, and then it’ll be done. After that, I’ll need to go through the entire chapter again for one final edit, and then it’ll be ready for release.
> 
> Once Chapter 16 is out, updates will slow to about one chapter a month, no set date. If I manage to write more than that, you might get a bonus chapter once in a while, but mostly it’ll be one chapter every 30 days or so.
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading, leaving kudos, and especially for leaving comments. I hope you all continue to enjoy the story as we move along.


	16. Black Rock (Part II)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one’s a doozy. A word count of over 14k. Hope you like it.

Ruby and Weiss had just started another writing lesson when Ruby suddenly froze mid-letter.

_Gong! Gong! Gong!_

Her wolf ears swiveled towards the sound almost immediately. It was a bell—most likely a Grimm warning bell. Was it just a Grimm sighting or were the Grimm actually attacking?

Apparently Ruby wasn't the only one that heard the sound, for Weiss lifted her head at the same moment. "Is that...a bell?" Weiss asked.

Ruby nodded as she put a finger to her lips, asking the noble to stay quiet for a little while longer, and kept her ears trained in the distance. If someone would just stop ringing that bell...there! As the final gong of the bell faded off, Ruby could hear the fainter sounds of Grimm snarls and people yelling and screaming.

Yang. She had probably already reached the town by now. That meant she was down there alone without someone to watch her back—without _Ruby_ to watch her back. That wasn't right. They were always stronger and safer as a team. Ruby had to get down there and help.

Yet even as the thought crossed her mind, Ruby couldn't deny that a small part of her trembled at the thought of heading towards civilization—at the thought of possibly having to meet unknown people for the first time in a while—but she shoved that part down _hard_. It didn't matter that the very thought of strangers made her feel all quivery inside and made her hands grow cold and clammy. _She_ didn't matter, not when there were lives in the balance. Not when Yang was out there possibly fighting alone.

Ruby stood abruptly, causing Weiss to jump in surprise. With a single swipe of her sleeve, Ruby cleaned off her slate and slipped it back into her pack along with her little sack of chalk. Then she started packing away what little they had unpacked earlier. There was no point in bringing any of their knapsacks along; they would only get in the way. The best thing to do would be to grab what she thought she might need and leave the rest of their things here.

Thieves and bandits shouldn't be a problem in such a rural place, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. She'd do what they always did when they had to leave their things behind for an extended period of time: lash them up in a sturdy tree. Hardly anyone ever looked up unless they had a reason to after all, so their things would stay safe. Plus, it would help protect their food stores as long as she used her special Nightcrawler silk rope.

Grimm might not actively attack or hunt animals if there were humans around, but animals usually learned to avoid Grimm nonetheless. Grimm didn't care if they blundered through an animal's den or knocked down a tree full of nesting birds after all. The smell of the Nightcrawler silk would be enough to deter all but the most desperate of animals from going after their food supplies.

"Ruby, what…?"

Ruby signed a little hurriedly, _Grimm are attacking the town. I'm going to help Yang._

Ruby wasn't sure how much of the message Weiss understood, but apparently it was enough for the noble to catch that other little detail that Ruby was purposely ignoring.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Yang told us—told _you_ —to stay away from town," Weiss said with a note of unease in her voice.

Ruby's lupine ears folded back at the reminder and her tail coiled uncomfortably, but she didn't stop what she was doing.

Yang was definitely going to get mad at her for this, even if it was to help people, but at least Ruby knew she wouldn't be _mad-mad_ —just worried. Which wasn't much better, to be honest, because she hated worrying Yang.

Ruby just wanted to use her skills to help people and be useful. She wanted to make the world a better place in any way she could, and since she had the skills, why not use them to slay Grimm and keep people safe?

Most of the time she was sure she was doing the right thing, but when she saw how badly affected Yang or Uncle Qrow could get when Ruby put herself in harm's way, whether against Grimm or people who weren't always appreciative that a little Faunus girl had saved them, she couldn't help but second-guess herself sometimes. She would try to promise to herself that she'd be more careful next time—either taking more care to pad her defensive Aura or being more vigilant in keeping her Faunus features hidden—but she knew that if either of those things prevented her from saving a life, she would always choose to save the life instead. That's what her parents would have done, right? And that's what Uncle Qrow did all the time. That's why they became Huntsmen—to help people. Ruby wasn't as strong or skilled as they were yet, but maybe someday she'd be good enough to stop making Yang worry so much.

And this time she _had_ to go down there. It was one of their rules. They needed to take care of each other, and Ruby couldn't take care of Yang if she was hiding in the forest while Yang was heading into danger.

And there was no doubt that if there were Grimm attacking the town, Yang would be heading straight for them. Yang was just as much a hero as Uncle Qrow or their parents, and Ruby knew that if someone was in trouble, there was no way her amazing older sister would just stand by and watch.

Ruby grabbed Yang's battle gloves and put them next to her bow and quiver. Next, she went through her quiver and after a moment's consideration, exchanged half of the twenty-four regular arrows with her special fire Dust-arrows. She used a thin cord of leather across the top of her quiver to keep the two types of arrows separated.

Ruby wasn't entirely sure what kind of Grimm were attacking the town. She _thought_ the Grimm calls sounded like Creeps, but King Taijitu and a few other Grimm types were also known to make a similar hissing snarl-like sound when they attacked. They were just too far away for Ruby to be able to tell for certain. In any case, it would be better to bring her bow anyway, just to be safe.

Ruby eyed her swords and gave a little sigh before she undid her longer blade to leave behind. She liked having both of them, but she still had to carry Yang's heavy cestuses as well as her own bow and arrows. The second sword would only weigh her down even more, and if she had to choose between the two, her shorter blade was more versatile, especially since Ruby didn't know what kind of environment she might have to fight in. Her longer blade could easily become a hindrance if she was forced to fight in cramped quarters, but not so with her shorter blade.

Ruby turned to lash her sword to her knapsack only to stop short. Weiss was standing right behind her, her arms crossed and her eyes darting from the pile of weapons just beyond Ruby to the sword in her hand. Weiss's mouth was pressed into a firm line and her eyes were as stern as ever. When Weiss finally looked up, the younger girl couldn't help but fidget a little guiltily.

Weiss gave a sharp sigh. "You're going, aren't you." It wasn't a question.

Ruby's wolf ears lowered and her tail twined around her leg nervously in the face of Weiss's apparent disapproval. Still, she nodded even as she dropped her gaze.

"Then I suppose that means I'm coming along as well."

Ruby's eyes shot up, and she stared at the noble in surprise. This time it was Weiss who avoided her eyes as she turned and quickly walked over to her own knapsack to fetch something. Ruby wasn't given much time to analyze this turn of events because Weiss was soon standing beside her again.

"Have you put any thought in how we're getting there?" the noble asked as she tucked something into her belt pouch.

Oh. Well, Ruby had been planning just to run there using her Semblance, but Weiss...Weiss was definitely getting better at using her acceleration Glyphs, but it was one thing to be able to accelerate in an open field and quite another to try to do the same thing in the middle of a heavily wooded forest. Also, Weiss didn't really have the Aura capacity to use her acceleration Glyphs for as long as it would take to get to Black Rock and still have enough Aura to use in battle upon arrival. (Yang had been adamant that they avoid people as much as possible, so she made them set up camp in a spot that was at least forty-five minutes away from the town.)

Ruby thought for a moment. She glanced back at the pile of weapons, mentally calculating how heavy everything was going to be. She could probably pull it off. It was no different than running back and forth all day with a full knapsack when she went scouting after all.

She shrugged. Only one way to find out.

* * *

Weiss fought back a strangled cry as Ruby narrowly missed another tree as the younger girl pelted through the forest with the noble clinging to her back. "Ruby, be careful!"

Ruby gave Weiss's legs a squeeze in acknowledgement but didn't seem inclined to slow her mad, Semblance-powered dash.

How did Ruby _do_ this? It was like she had no fear!—whereas Weiss couldn't help but clench her eyes shut and grip Ruby's shoulders ever tighter every time the girl dodged an obstacle at the very last second or leapt down from some dangerously high ledge or boulder.

Weiss swallowed hard.

They were going to die. She just knew it. Ruby would misstep or trip, the two of them would slam headfirst into a tree or rock, and they would die instantly, especially at the speed Ruby's Semblance was taking them. Yes, they were wrapped in the younger girl's Aura, but it couldn't possibly be enough to protect them if they really did crash into something!

"Oh no, Ruby, don't you dare!" Weiss shrieked as they rushed straight towards another rocky ledge. Weiss made the mistake of leaving her eyes open as they reached the edge and blanched. They had to be at least seventeen feet off the ground!

Ruby just tightened her grip on Weiss and leapt down with reckless abandon. As she did so, she activated her Semblance. Weiss felt the energy around them shift and instead of falling straight down, they spiraled, shedding rose petals all the way, and their tight spiral created a whirlwind powerful enough to slow their fall. They hit the ground with a slight jolt, and then Ruby was off running again.

It really struck home to Weiss just how much more training she was going to need to be able to dodge obstacles as effortlessly as Ruby was doing right now.

When Ruby first suggested that she simply carry Weiss to Black Rock, Weiss didn't think the smaller girl could do it. Not only would Ruby have to manage Weiss's weight, but she'd also be carrying the combined weight of all their weapons. However, Weiss was soon proven wrong. Apparently, the girl was much stronger than she looked. The biggest problem was actually figuring out the logistics of how to carry so many things.

In the end, Ruby tied Yang's cestuses together so that she could hang them from the back of her neck while Weiss carried the rest of their things. The noble had Myrtenaster in its usual spot on her right hip, Ruby's quiver of arrows on her left, and Ruby's sword and bow were strapped across Weiss's back. Once everything was securely in place, Ruby crouched down in front of Weiss, gestured for the noble to climb on, and that was that. Despite all of Weiss's doubts, Ruby lifted the young noble easily, even without Aura. They had to reposition a bit to keep Ruby's cloak from bunching uncomfortably between them and to prevent Ruby's tail from getting too squished, but they managed.

It was embarrassing to have to be carried, but even Weiss could see that they didn't have any other options if they wanted to reach Black Rock in time to provide assistance. And for better or for worse, her embarrassment didn't last long. Once Ruby started moving, all other thoughts flew from her mind as sheer terror took their place, and Weiss found herself clinging to the girl for dear life.

Apparently the sensation of time slowing only lasted for the first few seconds when Ruby activated her Semblance. After that, time went back to normal, which meant heart-stopping, muscle-seizing fear for anyone unaccustomed to moving at such high speeds in such close quarters.

Weiss's whole body stiffened as Ruby leapt off yet another ledge, and she felt nauseous as her stomach rose and plummeted with the controlled drop. She may or may not have let out a small squeak as well as she buried her face in the back of Ruby's crimson hood.

That was when Weiss noticed the air suddenly grow noticeably warmer. As soon as Ruby landed back on solid ground, Weiss took a peek around her and realized that it wasn't the air that had grown warmer; it had been Ruby's Aura. Indeed, that protective energy surrounding them had warmed and even brightened.

_What…?_

Out of curiosity (and perhaps out of a desperate desire to distract herself with just about _anything_ else other than Ruby's mad dash through the forest), Weiss called upon her own Aura and just like the time Ruby had whisked her out of the path of that raging Boarbatusk, the instant their Auras touched, Ruby's surface thoughts washed over her.

_Reassurance. Calm. Comfort. Protectiveness. Warmth._

Weiss only had a split-second to blink in shock before the sight of narrowly avoiding yet another tree caused her to flinch.

The moment Weiss flinched, Ruby's Aura pulsed again, brightening and cradling Weiss in warmth. Ruby's emotions brushed up against Weiss repeatedly, washing away the noble's fear and nervousness and keeping them away with an insulating layer of pure comfort. It was like Ruby was giving Weiss one of those cozy hugs of hers and saying, _Don't worry. I've got you. I'll keep you safe._

Weiss was utterly flummoxed. Was Ruby...it sounded absolutely _ridiculous_ , but the noble didn't know how else to describe it but...was Ruby giving her...an _Aura-hug_? How was that even possible? How could a person use their _Aura_ to give someone a hug?

Yet that seemed to be exactly the case. Every time Weiss's breath hitched or her muscles tightened, Ruby's Aura would pulse and flare, again and again, pushing away the noble's fright and replacing it with warmth and a calming sense of reassurance.

The Aura pulses worked so well that by the time the two of them finally cleared the trees and came to a stop atop the basin that led to the Grimm-strewn battlefield below, Weiss felt calmer and more assured than she'd ever been in her life, like she had been submerged in a rare, cleansing moment of peace. Even the horde of Creeps surrounding Yang and the old man below failed to sway her composure.

"Ruby," Weiss murmured into the girl's ear. "Put me down the moment we get down there."

Ruby gave Weiss's legs a squeeze to let her know she heard. The girl paused just a moment longer, shifting Weiss's weight forward so she could free an arm long enough to slip that little whistle of hers between her lips. Ruby piped out a signal to let her older sister know they were coming and activated her Semblance once more.

Weiss took advantage of their lull in movement to slip a hand into her belt pouch and pull out a vial of ice Dust. She loosened its stopper but didn't open it quite yet. She just wanted it on hand so she could commence her attack as soon as they reached Yang.

Having finished piping out her signal, Ruby slipped the whistle back under her shirt for safekeeping. She returned her arm to fully supporting Weiss, gave a little bounce to rebalance the noble's weight, and then they were off again, barreling down the lengthy and somewhat steep incline to the edge of the battlefield. This time, Weiss kept her eyes open the entire way.

The Creeps seemed like they were practically standing still in comparison to Ruby's Semblance. By the time they realized Ruby and Weiss were there, Ruby had already darted past their half-bared fangs or leapt over any heavy tails swinging their way. Ruby was truly in her element as she fearlessly weaved through the horde of black and white bodies, most of which stood at least as tall as her if not slightly taller. At the very least, every single one of the Grimm were undoubtedly more massive than both Ruby and Weiss combined.

Weiss felt an involuntary, visceral tremor deep inside as they passed through the throng of Grimm—images of getting crushed, trampled, or torn apart by these monstrous, bloodthirsty creatures vivid in her mind's eye. It would be so easy, too. If Weiss was ever knocked off her feet in the midst of so many oversized Grimm and they attacked her directly, she knew her defensive Aura would peter out after a few solid hits. She'd last longer if she managed to put up a few shield Glyphs between her and her attackers, but that would still only delay the inevitable. She wasn't like Yang who could take just as many hits as she dealt or Ruby who could always find a way to weave her way out of a tough situation.

It had taken hours of training and experimentation—as well as many evening campfire discussions with Yang (who had a surprisingly good eye for tactics)—but they'd finally found a way to offset Weiss's decidedly linear fighting style. Weiss's new style depended on controlling the battlefield—it depended on knowing exactly where every enemy was at any given time, knowing how they moved and attacked, and always planning at least two or three steps ahead. By the time her opponent realized she was in their blindspot, she had already drawn blood with her rapier and used her Glyphs to retreat to a safe distance, not unlike how Ruby fought. However, unlike Ruby, Weiss could also switch seamlessly between long and short range attacks while simultaneously providing non-offensive support whenever necessary. One moment she could be cutting down a Beowolf and the next, she was throwing up a defensive Glyph to keep Yang from getting attacked from behind and summoning a handful of platform Glyphs to help Ruby climb out of a tight spot.

However, a big part of controlling the battlefield was controlling distance. In other words, it meant only being within her opponent's attack range for as long as she needed to do damage and retreating immediately before they could counterattack. Here in the middle of so many Grimm, retreating would only bring Weiss face to face with another enemy.

Weiss must have tightened her grip around Ruby's shoulders or stiffened at the thought for Ruby's Aura pulsed yet again, pushing away the noble's unease just like every time before and reminding her that she wasn't alone. Ruby was with her, and Yang was nearby as well. The sisters would never leave her to face down a horde of enemies alone. The thought made Weiss feel warmer and more at ease than she ever thought possible.

Half a minute later they reached Yang. Ruby dropped to a crouch, lowering Weiss to the ground.

Weiss released Ruby and straightened instantly. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. _I can do this._

She took a brief moment to survey the battlefield. The Grimm were loosely organized in small pockets that formed several visible waves, most likely grouped by when they crawled out of the mines. The Grimm closest to her and the others were too scattered to target as a whole, but the wave just beyond them was conveniently arrayed in a wide arc. She could work with this.

The noble opened her vial of Dust, dragged a portion of it into her Aura, and called upon her Semblance. Weiss immediately began to feel that heady sense of invincibility as her Glyphs gave her the power to bend reality in conjunction to her Aura slowly starting to drain.

Weiss channeled her Semblance down through her right arm and hand, using her index and middle fingers as a focus to direct her Aura. She directed her outstretched fingers forward and targeted that first visible arc of Grimm. The noble summoned a chain of glowing Glyphs beneath their ranks and a split second later, giant ice crystals exploded from the ground, forming a solid barrier of ice that prevented the rest of the Grimm from coming any closer to the town.

Taking another breath, Weiss drew more Dust into her Aura and summoned a second chain of Glyphs, this time in the air. They blinked into existence above the Grimm, reminiscent of stars scattering across the night sky. Her Glyphs in place, Weiss clenched her outstretched hand into a tight fist, summoning a heavy barrage of ice.

The Grimm that were lucky only had to deal with a limb or tail getting trapped in ice. The unluckier Grimm were battered to the ground as sharpened ice shards slammed into them from above and punched through their hide wherever they lacked armor. Many fell, never to rise again, sending Grimm-ash wafting into the air across the battlefield like smoke after a forest fire.

The strain of summoning so many Glyphs over such a wide area was intense and left Weiss both gasping for breath and trembling from exertion in the end. Still, she did it, and she couldn't quite hold back the resulting tired grin of triumph.

A handful of Grimm managed to escape Weiss's ice storm mostly unscathed, but they didn't stay that way for long. The creatures charged Weiss's group, their sibilating snarls rippling through the air. Before Weiss could even think to stop her, Ruby tossed Yang her cestuses, drew her five-inch boot knife, and dashed headlong towards the horde of approaching Creeps. As Weiss fought to catch her breath after casting all those Glyphs, she had no choice but to watch as Ruby dove under the nearest Creep's lunge. The small girl was practically on her knees as she slashed her Aura-imbued knife straight through the narrowest part of the creature's ankle, cutting whatever tendons might be there. The creature gave a shrieking hiss as its injured limb collapsed, no longer able to bear its weight. It thrashed violently as it fell, but Ruby had already disappeared in a swirl of rose petals and was moving towards her next target.

Weiss's jaw tightened as she battled the urge to call Ruby back. She didn't want to risk distracting the younger girl when she was already in the thick of battle, but why on Remnant had the girl gone into the fight without getting her sword back from Weiss first?!

Weiss narrowed her eyes as Ruby weaved in and out between the Grimm, leaping over tails, slipping past lunges, and countering any attacks with a well-placed stab or slash. Ruby wasn't able to deal any decisive blows—her knife was too short for that—but her efforts distracted the Creeps and kept them from approaching Weiss and the others. Yet Weiss didn't care if Ruby seemed to be managing just fine. That tiny knife was _not_ a proper weapon to use against Grimm that had to be at least three times the girl's body mass. Ruby was definitely going to get a tongue-lashing after all this was over and a long lecture about not running into battle without first being properly equipped.

Still, Ruby's efforts gave Yang enough time to slip her cestuses on before joining the fray. As soon as Yang raced forward to engage the enemy, Ruby finally dropped back to Weiss's side to collect her sword. Not wanting to waste time, Weiss unsheathed Ruby's blade for her, (leaving the girl's scabbard on her back), and handed the weapon over as soon as Ruby finished slipping her knife back into her boot. Ruby quickly signed her thanks and dove right back into battle.

Between the two sisters, all of the Grimm closest to the town were soon exterminated. Weiss had wanted to join in as soon as she caught her breath, but the older man standing several feet away stayed her hand. If she were to enter the fight as well, he would be left here unprotected. He had an Aura, which explained why he was here on the battlefield in the first place, and he seemed to have some martial training, considering the fact that he looked extremely at ease with the cudgel in his hand, but until she knew for certain that he could protect himself, it would be irresponsible of her to leave him alone. Weiss suspected he was the cause of all the unnatural tree branches that had grown straight through a good number of slowly dissipating Grimm corpses littering the battlefield, but without proof and no inclination to speak with him to verify her hypothesis if she didn't absolutely have to, she placated herself by keeping her eyes on the fight, ready to assist with a Glyph or two if necessary. Not that the sisters even needed her.

As per usual, Ruby flitted all across the battlefield, keeping the Creeps scattered and unable to assist each other, while also dealing the occasional finishing swordstrike. Yang made good use of her little sister's interference, taking out every isolated Grimm with several bone-shattering, Aura-infused blows that made Weiss wince from afar. She could feel the sheer power in every one of Yang's strikes even from here.

The remaining Grimm—that is, those that were closest to Weiss's ice wall—seemed to be drawn to their brethren trapped in the Dust-generated ice and ignored Weiss and the others in favor of trying to free their companions. It was an unexpected development, but a favorable one. It would give the four of them a little extra time to figure out what to do next.

Weiss watched as Yang first hugged Ruby and then whispered something into the small girl's ear after the final Creep had been exterminated. The noble looked on in satisfaction when she saw Ruby's shoulders droop, a sure sign that she'd just been scolded. Good. Maybe if both Weiss and Yang teamed up they might be able to eventually curb the girl's tendency to leap before she looked. Or at least make sure she didn't dive into battle with nothing but a puny knife again. Preferably both.

As Yang and Ruby started back, Yang had a wide grin on her face that instantly set Weiss on guard.

"That was absolutely awesome, Icy! You totally _iced_ them!" Yang said, her voice exuberant and loud as usual.

Weiss barely had the chance to scowl at the new nickname and Yang's corresponding word choice before the taller woman threw a heavy arm over her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. A sweaty squeeze. A shiver of disgust shot up the noble's spine.

"Stop that!" Weiss said as she struggled to free herself from the woman's sweaty, overly warm grasp.

Yang just chuckled in the face of Weiss's pique and gave her a second squeeze, just to be contrary, before finally letting go. "Seriously, Icy, that was pretty impressive. Thanks for the help."

Still uncomfortable with Yang's tendency to offer unabashed praise or unexpected appreciation, Weiss crossed her arms with an embarrassed huff. "You're welcome," she mumbled.

From the corner of her eye, Weiss surveyed the taller woman, silently taking note of how Yang's golden hair was still shimmering and even sending off a stray spark now and again. Her eyes were lilac though so Yang must have either already used her Semblance or had been a few steps away from using it when she and Ruby arrived. That alone told Weiss how hard Yang must have been fighting before their arrival. They'd made it just in time, it seemed.

While Weiss was being manhandled by Yang, Ruby had made her way to Weiss's other side and was quietly waiting to collect the rest of her weapons. Ruby's bow went across her back, her quiver went to her left side, and her sheathed sword went to her right. After Ruby finished equipping herself, she and Weiss finally turned their full attention to the man next to Yang.

"Friends of yours?" he was asking Yang in a gruff voice.

Yang answered, "Yep. The smaller one's my little sister."

The man turned his dark eyes on Ruby, who seemed to shrink under his gaze and sidled closer to Weiss. Weiss frowned, not liking how Ruby was reverting to the nervous, hesitant girl she had been when Weiss had first met her. The noble purposely took half a step forward, making sure to audibly scuff the earth beneath her boots as she did so, which drew the man's attention away from Ruby to herself. Weiss gave an internal nod of satisfaction when she saw Ruby relax slightly as soon as the man's attention strayed.

A sharp crack rang out suddenly, and all four of them turned to see one of the Creeps had managed to partially free itself from the ice.

Yang turned to the older man and asked, "So now what?"

The man drummed his fingers on the top of his cudgel, clearly thinking. He glanced at Weiss with a frown. "You there, Icy—"

Weiss stiffened just as she heard a familiar snort from Yang. She crossed her arms and gave Yang the frostiest glare she could muster—the effect of which was non-existent considering her expression was hidden by the annoying hood she was wearing. Still, she hoped her body language would give Yang enough of a hint.

It didn't, of course, and the woman just grinned teasingly in response. "Hey _Icy_ , someone's talking to you."

"Oh hush, you." Weiss turned to the man in question. "What do you want?" she asked sharply, irritated that she couldn't correct him lest she reveal her true identity.

The man stopped short, his eyes narrowing at her tone of voice.

Her humor seemingly forgotten, Yang stepped forward hurriedly to diffuse the growing tension. "Kuromatsu, meet Icy and my little sister, Ruby. Icy? Sis? Meet Kuromatsu, the owner of the Black Pines Apothecary. He saved my butt before you two showed up. Almost got swamped by those Creeps."

Ruby gave the man, Kuromatsu, a nervous wave, and Weiss gave him a reluctant nod of greeting.

Yang glanced at Kuromatsu. "Don't mind Icy. She's prickly on a good day." Weiss huffed irritably at that. "What were you going to say?"

Kuromatsu gave Weiss one last look before turning to the friendlier member of their party. "I wanted to know if that" —he gestured to the ice wall— "was her Semblance or if she could do that with any sort of Dust."

"How about it, Icy?"

Weiss rolled her eyes at Yang's obvious attempts to bring her into the conversation when Yang already knew the answer to the man's query and could very well have answered for her. _And Yang's having far too much fun with this new nickname,_ Weiss thought with annoyance as she said shortly, "It's both. My Semblance allows me to manipulate all types of Dust."

"And that includes earth Dust?"

"Yes, of course."

The man paused for a moment in thought. Finally, he said, "I think I need to track down one of the miners and figure out just what happened down in the mines and where the Grimm are coming from. Are the three of you Huntresses?"

"Not exactly," Yang admitted for all three of them, "but it's not like we can just walk away when all of you are in trouble. Right, you two?"

Ruby nodded in agreement when Yang glanced over.

When Yang's gaze shifted over to Weiss, the noble gave a sigh. "Indeed," Weiss said at last, "it would be unnecessarily cruel to walk away when you and your people are in need. I suppose you have a plan, considering you questioned my ability to use Dust?"

Kuromatsu gave her a curt nod. "The way things look now, looks like there was a breach somewhere underground. If you can use earth Dust, then maybe we can seal it up without having to close down the entire mine."

"And you have the necessary Dust?"

"I don't, but the town does. Any mining town worth its salt that has at least one or two people who can use their Aura will have some earth Dust for emergencies. You never know when you'll need it to help dig out trapped miners or to stabilize a wall on the brink of collapse. Normally, I'd be the one using it but" —Kuromatsu glanced back over at all the Creeps frozen in ice— "your ability to use Dust far outstrips mine."

The compliment was so frank and unexpected that Weiss felt her cheeks warm slightly. For once, she was glad of the hood that kept her features hidden. "I'll do what I can," she responded, glancing away in discomfort.

Yang spoke up, "Sounds like a plan. And don't worry; we'll keep an eye on the Grimm for ya. They won't get a head or tail near the town as long as we're on the job." Her grin, coupled with her still shimmering hair, painted quite the picture of confidence. Weiss couldn't help but roll her eyes at the woman's cocky attitude.

Kuromatsu apparently felt the same way. He gave an amused snort as he shook his head. "I don't doubt it, Firecracker. Be back as soon as I can." With that, he turned and started limping towards the town gates.

* * *

"Alright, everyone got the plan?" Yang asked as she glanced around their little circle. "Ruby?"

Ruby nodded and gave her older sister a thumbs up.

The plan was simple enough. Ruby would use Weiss's platform Glyphs to get over the wall of ice and once she was on the other side, she'd use her Semblance at full power to clear a path for the others. (She'd discovered long ago that moving at her top speeds could create wind gusts strong enough to knock all but the largest Grimm aside.) The others would use Weiss's acceleration Glyphs to catch up to her, and they'd all enter the mine together before the Creeps outside could regroup.

From there, Ruby would continue to take point because she had the best eyesight in dimly lit areas and therefore would be able to see any Grimm attempting to attack them from the front. Kuromatsu and Weiss would come next—Kuromatsu because he needed to be near the front in order to help them navigate the unfamiliar tunnels, and Weiss because she was under orders to avoid fighting as much as she could in order to save her Aura for sealing the breach. Yang would then bring up the rear and guard their backs.

Weiss came over to Ruby and bent down slightly so that she could peer into Ruby's hood. She caught and held Ruby's gaze. "Make sure to be careful," she said.

Weiss looked so serious that Ruby could only nod solemnly in return.

Yang dropped a hand on Weiss's shoulder and said to the noble, "Don't worry, Icy. Ruby's got this. And even if something unexpected does happen, we'll be right behind her to back her up."

Weiss crossed her arms. "I know that!" She gave Ruby another glance and frowned. "Here," she said as she tugged on the bow resting across Ruby's back, "Give me that. It'll only get in your way if you're going to be on the front lines and with the way you fight, you'll need as much mobility as possible."

Oh. Alright.

Ruby slipped her bow off and for the second time that day, left it in Weiss's care.

"Do you want me to take your quiver as well?"

Ruby thought for a moment and then nodded. She removed it and watched Weiss attach it to her belt again. Ruby didn't really think it'd get in the way—she fought with it on all the time—but Weiss hadn't seemed happy since they'd decided Ruby would be heading in first alone. If holding onto Ruby's things made her feel better about it all, then Ruby didn't mind handing them over.

Kuromatsu approached. "Icy, here's the earth Dust," he said as he held out a small vial. "Try not to use more than you have to. The council's already yammering at me enough as it is for needing to use any of it at all." He gave a snort of disgust. "Tell them that you need to use the earth Dust they have precisely for emergencies like these, and it's like you told them to give away their first-born child."

As Weiss took the proffered vial of Dust, Yang asked, "Seriously? You did explain to them that it's either abandon the mines entirely or close up the breach, right? Because even assuming we'd be able to exterminate all the Creeps, there's no telling where the hole in the mine leads and something even nastier could wander in if we leave it as is."

"Unfortunately, the loudest members of our council also happen to be the stingiest, and Dust doesn't come cheap."

Yang just shook her head and turned to Ruby. "Good luck, Sis. I'll see you again in a few minutes."

Ruby couldn't help but smile when Yang reached under her hood to ruffle her hair. _See you soon_ , she signed back.

Yang walked over to Kuromatsu, her voice teasing. "Ready to take a ride, old man?" His peg-leg didn't allow for easy movement so Yang was going to carry him on her back while they were using Weiss's acceleration Glyphs.

The older man grumbled back, "My daughter isn't to hear of this. I'd never live it down."

"My lips are sealed," Yang replied with an audible grin.

Ruby turned away from them and glanced over at Weiss who, after offering to hold onto Ruby's bow and quiver, had moved away from the rest of them. The noble stood several feet away with her arms crossed tightly in front of her, staring at the Creeps milling around and clawing at her ice wall.

Ruby frowned. Weiss looked...tense. That was no good. No one should enter a fight when they weren't at their best, especially when Grimm were involved.

Ruby glanced over her shoulder to make sure Kuromatsu wasn't looking before slipping up to Weiss and tugging her sleeve.

"What?" Weiss snapped.

Ruby forced herself not to flinch at the noble's sharp tone though she couldn't stop her wolf ears from folding back. The smaller girl had to consciously remind herself that Weiss was a little like a hedgehog when she was stressed or uneasy—prickly and quick to show her quills whenever she was caught off-guard or interrupted—and sometimes it took her a moment to uncurl again after being startled.

Ruby faltered a bit after that. She hadn't really put much thought into what she was going to do after she got Weiss's attention. All she knew was that Weiss wasn't happy, and she didn't want that to continue. Should she give Weiss a hug right now? That's what Ruby would do for Yang if she thought Yang was feeling out of sorts. Then again, Weiss wasn't Yang, and what Ruby did for Yang might not help Weiss.

Not knowing what best to do, Ruby eventually fell back on what was gradually becoming a regular thing between her and Weiss. She slipped her hand into Weiss's and squeezed it gently, sort of like a super mini-hug. Weiss wasn't always in the mood for real hugs and rarely offered them up herself, but ever since Weiss let Ruby hold her hand the morning she had her first fever attack and they traded those hand squeezes to keep Ruby awake, Weiss seemed not to mind holding hands with Ruby. She even let Ruby hold her hand a couple of times when Ruby's fever was making her feel particularly miserable and Yang had to step away to get a new batch of medicine ready. That had been really nice. And even if Weiss wasn't comfortable giving hugs, Ruby noticed that the noble was getting less and less reserved about giving those hand squeezes.

Weiss stiffened at her touch for half a second before her shoulders sagged ever so slightly. "I'm fine," she muttered.

Was she really? Ruby wondered, but she didn't really have the luxury of time to find out.

In truth, Ruby would have wanted to stay like this until she was sure Weiss was feeling better, and she most likely would have, if not for the stranger in their midst. She didn't know if he was one of the types of people who would say mean things to her or Weiss for being so close, but she didn't want to risk it, so she moved away sooner than she liked. However, before she could pull away entirely, Weiss caught her hand once more and gave it a firm squeeze back, making Ruby's tail wag slightly.

"I know you can do this," she said, her voice soft, "but I still don't like it. Be careful. Don't take risks. If you need help, use your whistle to let us know immediately. Understand?"

Ruby nodded and gave Weiss's hand a second squeeze.

Another sharp crack echoed across the open ground. More Creeps were started to break free as the ice weakened little by little in the bright midday sun. It might have been a relatively cool day, but the sun was still quite a force to be reckoned with.

Weiss gave a huff. "We're running out of time." She let go of Ruby's hand and raised her own in preparation for summoning her Glyphs. "Are you ready?"

Ruby bounced forward with an energetic nod. Of course she was ready!

"See you on the other side then." Weiss only paused long enough to signal to Yang and Kuromatsu that they were starting before calling upon her Semblance.

Ruby gave Weiss a thumbs up and dashed forward. She grinned as a series of platform Glyphs appeared right in front of the wall of ice, forming a glowing staircase, and several bounds later, she was already up and over the crystalline blockade.

She dropped to the ground and surveyed the area. The Creeps had picked up on her arrival almost immediately and were starting to move her way. Good. More Grimm surrounding her meant more of them would get blown to the wayside, buying her team more time to reach the mine.

Ruby slipped her whistle between her lips, drew her sword, and waited as long as she dared. Finally, she blew her whistle hard to signal to the others that she was beginning her sprint, called upon her Semblance, and blasted forward, using her blade to cleave straight through the few Grimm that had been standing in her way.

Ruby was wreathed in her protective Aura so she couldn't feel the force of the wind gusts she was creating, but she could see out of the corner of her eye how the Creeps were being lifted bodily from the ground and blown off their feet.

She reached the entrance to the mine and skidded to a stop, rather pleased with herself. Now all Ruby had to do was wait for the others to catch up.

* * *

"How much farther?" Ruby heard Weiss ask Kuromatsu from somewhere behind her as the younger girl faced off against two more Creeps.

"We're almost there. We just entered section three. The breach is at the start of section four," the man answered just as Ruby dodged a set of slashing claws.

The girl's blade flashed out instantly as she sidestepped, cutting into the unarmored part of the Creep's leg before the creature could pull it back. She didn't have time to follow up, though, because the second Grimm chose that moment to lunge at her. She danced back hurriedly but she must have been getting tired, for as soon as she moved back, one of her feet slipped out from beneath her. Her knee hit the ground jarringly, causing her to suck in a sharp breath at the pain, but she didn't have time to fully process it. The Creep's gaping maw and bared fangs were so close that its caustic breath was burning her nostrils, sending her pulse racing. Knowing she'd never be able to dodge in time, Ruby bolstered her defensive Aura and braced herself for the attack...yet it never came.

A cool rush of energy shot past the fallen girl, and Weiss's clear voice rang out. "Ruby!"

The Grimm smashed into the glowing white Glyph that had appeared only inches away from Ruby's face. The creature gnashed its four-inch fangs against the semi-transparent barrier, trying futilely to rip through it in order to get to the girl.

Ruby scrambled to her feet to press her advantage. She used a touch of her Semblance to give her enough momentum to run straight up the tunnel wall, nearly reaching the ceiling. Once she'd reached the apex of her run, she turned, kicked herself off the wall at an angle, and brought her Aura-imbued blade down on the unarmored part of the Creep's neck with both hands. Her sword cleaved through the creature, beheading it, and it exploded into a shower of rose petals.

Now that one of the Creeps had been taken care of, the other was easy enough to dispatch. She whittled it down, annoying it with enough cuts and slashes to the unprotected parts of its flesh that any normal creature would have bled out. Enraged, the Grimm roared at her, giving her the opening she needed. Ruby darted forward and lunged upward, stabbing her blade through the roof of the creature's open mouth. As soon as her blade pierced the Creep's head cavity, the Grimm burst into a cloud of petals just like its companion.

A few heartbeats later, a shout from behind told Ruby that Yang had defeated whatever Creeps had come at them from the rear as well. The small girl's shoulders loosened with relief.

Ruby took a moment to wipe the sweat from her brow and then turned her attention to trying to regulate her breathing before the next wave of Grimm showed up. When she had finally caught her breath, she flicked her blade to dislodge the worst of the Grimm-ash staining it and sheathed it in one smooth motion. She turned and waved to get Weiss's attention.

 _Thank you_ , she signed and not for the first time either.

The footing in these tunnels was treacherous. Not only did Ruby have to be careful about not tripping over the minecart rails that had been built into the center of the tunnel, but the floor was covered in a mixture of sandy dirt, coal dust, and coal and rock fragments that had been left behind. This was probably the fourth time Weiss or Kuromatsu had to step in and help her due to her stumbling over a stray rock or slipping in a patch of sand.

Weiss moved closer and dropped to a crouch in front of the younger girl. The noble's hand ghosted over the knee that had hit the ground, clearly checking for injuries.

Ruby waved her hand again to get Weiss to look up and signed, _I'm fine_. And she was. Her Aura had absorbed any possible damage, and the residual pain was already fading with every passing second.

The noble rose to her feet at that and finally responded, "You're welcome." She didn't sound particularly happy though. Then again, none of them were "happy," exactly.

The long trek through the dark, stifling tunnels was starting to wear on all of them. They'd already been down here for over an hour, and the constant waves of Creeps were getting tedious.

However, despite the less than ideal footing and shadowy conditions, the tunnels weren't all bad. They were narrow enough to make it difficult for the Creeps to use their powerful tails without bashing each other or scraping the tunnel walls. Also, while the tunnels might be wide enough to fit two Creeps abreast, the ceiling was low enough to prevent them from leaping over their brethren, making it so Ruby only ever had to deal with two Creeps at a time. (Creeps could leap high, but they less capable at leaping far.)

Unfortunately, those same narrow tunnels prevented Ruby from being able to take full advantage of her Semblance. Speed was only useful if she had enough room to maneuver and attack her opponents from where they least expected, after all.

Weiss motioned for them to return to the main group, but before they could take more than a few steps, Yang was already there to meet them and Kuromatsu was not far behind.

"Everything alright?" Yang asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

Ruby's wolf ears drooped beneath her hood. Yang must have heard Weiss shout her name and gotten worried.

Ruby nodded determinedly. _I'm fine_ , she signed again. _I just slipped a little. Weiss saved me._

Ruby breathed a small sigh of relief when the furrow between Yang's eyes eased.

"Of course, she did," Yang murmured softly as if to herself.

Weiss didn't seem to have heard for she was busy rummaging around in the bag hanging from her shoulder. When Kuromatsu disappeared into town, he didn't only bring back the vial of earth Dust. He also brought back several water canteens tucked into two messenger bags and a pair of lanterns.

"Ruby, Yang, take a break," the noble ordered as she continued rummaging.

Yang grinned at the noble's imperious tone but seemed tired enough to not poke fun at Weiss for once.

Apparently having the same idea as Weiss, Kuromatsu stepped forward with a canteen of water already in his hand. Yang accepted it with a word of thanks and immediately started gulping its contents down. It wasn't until she saw her older sister drinking so thirstily that Ruby realized how parched her own mouth and throat were. When Weiss handed Ruby a canteen of her own, the girl drank from it greedily. The cool liquid tasted wonderful, and she could already feel a trickle of energy return to her almost immediately. She must have been more thirsty than she thought.

"How are you two doing?" Weiss asked when Yang finally stopped drinking to take a breath.

Yang shrugged lightly. There was a sheen of sweat covering what little of her skin Ruby could see beneath all the dirt and grime. Ruby suspected she didn't look much better. Both of them were covered with a mixture of Grimm-ash, coal dust, plain dirt, and of course, sweat.

"We've been through worse," Yang said, "but I'll admit I'm starting to feel a little stretched thin." She corked her canteen and started going through some stretches, focusing especially on her arms and torso.

Ruby jumped a little when Kuromatsu's gruff voice suddenly cut in. "If there are this many Creeps in the tunnels, there are probably even more at our destination. They're like ants. Some will break off from the main group to explore, but the majority of them will mill around a central area unless given reason to move. It's why Creeps are rarely seen aboveground. They won't wander too far from their group unless someone enters their territory."

The thought made Ruby's wolf ears droop. Already they had come across the ravaged bodies of several miners who hadn't managed to escape the Grimm. The current body count was eleven, and Ruby had no doubt that they'd find more before they reached the breach. She turned away from her companions and pointed her ears into the darkness, listening for any sign that they might soon be attacked again.

Not that it would help much.

Sure, she could _hear_ plenty of things, but she didn't have enough experience to make sense of it all. Aboveground she knew how sounds could get distorted or muffled by obstacles like trees, vegetation, and boulders. She'd even traveled around lakes often enough to know that sounds carried differently over open water. The tunnels, however, were a whole different story. She'd never been underground for this long before, and Ruby found herself unused to how sounds kept bouncing off the earthen walls and wooden support beams and echoing around corners. It made the Grimm sound both closer and farther than they really were, and Ruby wasn't always sure which direction the sounds were coming from.

What made things worse was that the tunnels weren't nice and straight. They curved and split off into smaller side tunnels fairly regularly because the mountain was so rich in coal that the miners kept finding new coal beds to work as they tunneled deeper and deeper through the earth. The miners didn't even have to dig mine shafts; all the coal they needed could be found digging horizontally. Ruby's inability to accurately judge which direction a sound was coming from meant they were occasionally ambushed by Creeps that had hidden away in those side tunnels. It forced all of them to stay on their guard.

Ruby's nose wasn't faring much better either. She could barely breathe in these dark, stagnant tunnels. The stink of Grimm, dirt, and coal clogged her nostrils, making her nose practically useless in detecting whether or not a new wave of Grimm were coming. Technically, Grimm-ash (in other words, dead Grimm) smelled slightly more acrid than living Grimm, but without a nice, stiff breeze to occasionally clear the air (and her nose), Ruby had no way of knowing if what she was smelling was a new Grimm or just the ash dusting her clothes and boots from previous encounters. It was frustrating to say the least.

Ruby gave herself a small shake in an attempt to dislodge those heavier thoughts before handing the empty canteen back to Weiss. _Thank you,_ she signed.

"You're welcome," Weiss replied as she tucked the canteen away again.

Ruby took a moment to mimic her older sister in an attempt to keep her muscles from getting too stiff. She stretched her arms; rotated her wrists, elbows, and shoulders in turn; and flexed her hands several times. Ruby was so focused on her task that she didn't immediately realize that both Yang and Weiss seemed to be scrutinizing her.

Yang was the first one to speak up. "Do you want to switch?" she asked. "I can take the front for a while if you need a break. You've been fighting two Grimm for every one that decides to ambush us from behind."

"She's right," Weiss added. "And you've been getting slower. I can actually track your movements now. And this wasn't the first time that you've lost your footing down here. If you're getting tired, then you should take a break before you get hurt."

Well that was because Ruby was trying to save her Aura by not using her Semblance as much. There was no telling what else was at the end of these tunnels, and she might need every bit of it later if they got into a pinch.

Still, she knew that Yang and Weiss were right and that she needed to take them seriously. She took a moment to mentally assess her body. Finally, she shook her head.

She was tiring a little, but she wasn't actually tired yet. She could keep going a while longer. Sure, she had slipped a few times, but they still needed her in the front. Yes, her ears and nose weren't being very helpful right now, but her night vision was still better than that of her human companions. Every little bit of forewarning helped and could mean the difference between keeping everyone safe and someone getting hurt.

"You sure?" Yang's voice carried a hint of worry so Ruby made sure to nod as confidently as she could. The corner of Yang's mouth turned down slightly, but eventually she sighed. "Alright then," she said at last, "But if you do get tired, let us know right away."

Ruby nodded again.

Weiss, on the other hand, was not so easily pacified. In fact, Ruby's response only led to the noble crossing her arms, and Weiss crossing her arms was usually a bad sign. Ruby would know. Most of the scoldings Weiss gave her started with crossed arms and a stern glare, after all.

"You know," Weiss began, her voice holding a slight edge of displeasure, "I am perfectly capable of taking a turn guarding our party. My Aura capacity might not be quite as large as yours" —she glanced at each of the sisters to include both of them in that statement— "but it isn't so small that I can't take over for a while to give you two some time to rest."

Yang started to run a hand through her hair, but immediately seemed to think better of it after catching sight of the amount of ash staining her hands. "Weiss, we talked about this. It's not that we don't think you can do it; if anything, you'd be doing just as well as Ruby. Better than me at least."

"Then I should—"

"But—" Yang interrupted, "me and Ruby—"

"Ruby and I—" came the muttered correction.

"—will be pretty useless later since neither of us know how to use Dust—'least not the way you can. But we _are_ really good at taking out Grimm. So it's all just a matter of putting the right people in the right places to do their jobs at the right time. I know it sucks to be stuck in the back waiting, but hang in there a little while longer, alright Icy?"

Weiss's arms stayed crossed for a few moments longer before she sagged a little and made a noise of frustration. "I just hate standing by. It feels like I'm making you two do all the work," she grumbled softly.

Ruby's wolf ears folded down. She didn't like it when Weiss was upset.

"You're not," Yang told her for the both of them. "We're just doing what we can now, just like you'll be doing what _you_ can later."

Ruby nodded enthusiastically at that, the movement drawing Weiss's attention away from Yang.

Ruby shot a glance over Weiss's shoulder towards Kuromatsu and noted with some surprise that he had taken several steps away from them and was currently facing the tunnel behind them, presumably watching for enemies. Maybe he had also moved away to give them some privacy? In any case, he wasn't looking this way so Ruby didn't have to worry about any negative repercussions.

Ruby closed the distance between her and Weiss and gave her what Ruby hoped was a reassuring cheek-nuzzle to the shoulder. She would have given Weiss a hand squeeze, too, if her gloves weren't covered in so much ash. Weiss _really_ didn't like getting dirty, as both Ruby and Yang had learned through experience.

(The Great Mud incident should never _ever_ be repeated if at all possible. Weiss was absolutely terrifying when she was that mad. Even Yang had been cowed in the face of Weiss's anger—so cowed that she didn't risk making even one joke about the incident until several _weeks_ later. Who knew a slope, a tree root, a snake, and a patch of deep mud hidden at the riverbank could unleash so much fury upon the world?)

Thankfully, the cheek-nuzzle seemed to work. Weiss let out one of her super tiny sighs and some of the noble's tension seemed to leak away.

"See, Ruby agrees with me!" Yang said brightly.

Her eyes started to sparkle playfully. "Sooo...now that Icy's fussing has been dealt with" —Yang ignored Weiss's squawk of protest— "where's my affection? Doesn't seem fair that Icy gets a nuzzle, and I don't."

Ruby could practically _hear_ Weiss's eyeroll as Yang held her arms out expectantly.

Ruby just grinned beneath her hood and gave a huge leap into Yang's arms, hugging Yang tightly and ignoring the fact that they were both rather filthy and covered with sweat. Hugs were hugs, period.

"Hah! Take that! _I_ got a full-fledged Ruby-hug," Yang gloated gleefully with Ruby still in her arms.

Weiss gave a huff. "And you can have it. Honestly, if either of you feel the urge to show any further physical affection today, _please_ restrain yourselves until you've had a bath."

"Aww…that's just _cold_ , Icy. Maybe you're the one who needs a hug. Luckily, I've got one just for you." Yang lowered Ruby to the floor and let her go after one last squeeze that sent Ruby's tail wagging. Then Yang raised her arms suggestively and took a step towards Weiss.

"Don't you dare, Xiao Long," Weiss started as she backed away.

"We're back to a last name basis, after everything we've been through? I'm hurt. Shocked. Utterly _wounded_ ," Yang said in a melodramatic voice that could have rivaled that of one of those players who traveled around performing shows and skits. Her big sister took another resolute step towards the noble, who promptly took another two steps away.

Ruby's tail wagged again and a smile stretched from ear to ear as she watched the two of them. Yang hadn't played like this in a while, not since Ruby's fevers came back. It was good to see her having fun again. Really good.

Unfortunately, they were interrupted by a gruff cough, reminding all of them that, unlike the last few weeks, they weren't actually alone. "Sorry to interrupt, but we do have a job to get done," Kuromatsu said almost apologetically.

"Right," Yang said as she scratched a cheek, looking somewhat embarrassed at having apparently forgotten. "Guess we'd better get going. Looks like you'll have to wait for later, Icy."

The long, relieved sigh Weiss let out spoke volumes.

* * *

The first sign that they were nearing their destination was a faint light up ahead. In their rush to escape the Grimm, the miners had left behind most of their lanterns.

It was eerie. Yang felt like she had just stepped into a pocket of frozen time, as though the miners were just on a midday break and would return to their tasks soon. Instead, she and the others were little more than witnesses to the fallen miners' final hours.

The first lantern they saw turned out to be hanging from a mining cart filled to the brim with coal and ready to be transported back to the mine entrance. They found the body of one of the men most likely in charge of pushing or pulling it to the entrance several feet away against the wall. His death, like so many others, had not been a peaceful or painless one.

The four of them were passing yet another side tunnel and according to Kuromatsu, were very close to their destination, when Ruby suddenly froze at the intersection.

"Ruby? What's wrong?" Weiss started to ask, but Yang shushed her before she could finish.

Yang knew that look. Ruby had caught wind of something, and now she was trying to pinpoint whatever it was she sensed. Yang motioned for Weiss and Kuromatsu to continue to stay silent so that they wouldn't distract their youngest member.

Stepping as quietly as she could, Yang moved up beside Ruby, trying to hear or see whatever it was that caught Ruby's attention. She frowned. She heard something, but she couldn't quite make it out. Was that...clicking? Then the sound was joined by a strange oscillating hum. What…?

Yang didn't have any more time to consider because Ruby's defensive Aura suddenly flared, and the small girl started shoving all of them out of the intersection.

Immediately, Yang called up her own defensive Aura. As she did so, she caught sight of something faintly white, whipping through the air in their direction. Yang spun, yanked Ruby out of the way, and took the hit with a painful grunt. Whatever it was stabbed her in the gut with the force of a javelin, knocking the wind out of her. Thankfully her Aura held, but she had been struck with enough force to go flying into the opposite wall. Growling through the pain radiating across both her back and abdomen, Yang grabbed whatever it was that hit her and took a good look at it. She paled at what she saw.

It was a sharp, barbed stinger attached to a thick, dark cord that led back into the tunnel. A Lancer stinger. Yang had never seen one of the giant Grimm hornets in person, but there'd been a drawing of one in one of the books Uncle Qrow used to teach them about the different kinds of Grimm and how to fight them.

The stinger suddenly jerked in Yang's grip, dragging her arm and entire body forward several feet before Ruby came to her aid. Her little sister's blade flashed out, severing the cord, and detaching the stinger from the rest of the unseen Lancer. The stinger remained in Yang's hand while the rest of the connective Grimm tissue whipped back into the darkness. That eerie humming sound intensified, and the ominous clicking sound grew more rapid.

Yang thrust herself to her feet. "Weiss!" she yelled, only belatedly realizing that she'd forgotten to use a nickname in the presence of a stranger. Hopefully, he'd just brush it off. "Weiss" and "Icy" sort of sounded the same, right? "Seal the tunnel! Now!"

"On it!" The noble's hands fumbled at her belt pouch to grab a vial of Dust, but not quickly enough.

Yang was still a little unsteady after being knocked off her feet and into a wall, so when Ruby crashed into her with an Aura-powered, Semblance-boosted tackle to force her out of the intersection, the smaller girl actually succeeded in moving her for once. The two of them hit the ground with rose petals dancing all around them, just in time for three other stingers to whistle through the space they had just been and lodge themselves into the rocky tunnel wall. Yang winced as she heard the sound of rock cracking and earth crumbling from the sheer impact of those deadly stingers.

A split second later, one of Weiss's Glyphs blinked into existence at the mouth of the side tunnel, and a solid wall of ice erupted from the ground to seal the opening with a sharp, crystalline crack. The noble had managed it not a moment too soon, for they all heard the hum of vibrating wings grow louder as the Grimm flew towards them. No more than a few seconds later, moving shadows darkened the other side of Weiss's ice blockade. The four of them could hear the Grimm clicking to one another as the creatures crawled and hovered over the ice, exploring the obstacle blocking their way.

Yang let out a slow breath as she let her head fall back to rest against the ground. Her pulse was still racing from all the excitement, but it was starting to slow down little by little. Ruby was laying on top of her, her head pressed up against Yang's stomach, and her arms gripping Yang in a tight embrace. Yang still had the Lancer stinger in one of her hands, but her other hand was free, so she brought it up to rest against the back of Ruby's head, patting it gently and letting her baby sister know that she was fine. "Thanks, Ruby."

Ruby nodded against her stomach and after extending her tight hug for a few more seconds, climbed off to let Yang sit up.

"Are you alright?" Weiss asked, her brow furrowed as her eyes darted back and forth between the sisters. She offered a hand to Ruby and helped the younger girl to her feet first, before offering Yang a hand as well.

Yang took it and let the noble pull her up. "Yep. Right, Ruby?"

Ruby nodded, leaning briefly against Yang once more as if to reassure herself that Yang really was perfectly fine, before stepping away to fetch and sheath the sword she had dropped earlier in her haste to get her older sister out of danger.

Yang turned to Kuromatsu. "I thought there weren't any Lancers in Atlas. It's too cold for them."

Kuromatsu frowned. "It should be. Then again, it's warmer underground. Maybe they're using the same tunnels the Creeps are to avoid the cold. Still, it's strange to see Lancers this far north." He drummed his fingers against the top of his cudgel for a few moments, thinking, before he shook his head at whatever conclusions he had reached.

He glanced over at Ruby, and Yang could feel her baby sister edge closer to press up against her side. Ruby really hated being at the center of attention, after all. Yang draped her arm around Ruby's shoulders to offer her some wordless comfort and support.

Yang noticed Kuromatsu's expression soften slightly and when he spoke, he actually sounded like he was trying to gentle his tone. "Hey, Pipsqueak," the man started. Yang felt Ruby perk up slightly at the familiar nickname. "Lancer stingers can be pretty useful when fashioned into tools. Think you could use that blade of yours to collect the rest of them for me?"

Yang stayed quiet, wanting her little sister to manage this small moment of human interaction on her own if she could. She rubbed a soothing thumb against Ruby's shoulder as she waited. Finally, the small girl nodded hesitantly in response.

Weiss had managed to get her ice blockade up before the Lancers could retract their harpoon-like stingers, so all of them were still lodged in the opposite wall and unable to be retracted until the ice melted. In one easy motion, Ruby cut all three stingers free from Lancers they belonged to and used the pommel of her blade to knock them loose from the rock. Once she had collected them, she brought them to Kuromatsu, her trepidation evident in every line of her body. He accepted them and slipped them into his bag with a quiet word of thanks, to which Ruby gave a jerky nod and scurried back to Yang and Weiss.

Yang couldn't help but give Ruby a proud smile as she returned, knowing how hard that must have been for her.

Remembering she still had her own stinger, Yang examined it for a moment before shrugging and handing it over to Kuromatsu as well. She might have found a use for it when they were still back home, but on the road it would only serve as extra baggage. Although she could probably keep it and try to sell it in a different town, she had no clue how to price a Lancer stinger considering she'd never seen one on the market before. Doing the necessary research and asking around to get a good price for the thing felt like entirely too much effort and would eat up more time than she was willing to spend at the moment. No, best just let Kuromatsu keep it and hope that generosity and goodwill would come around again sometime in the future.

Yang's internal musings were eventually interrupted by a loud scraping sound that suddenly joined the insectoid clicking and incessant humming. Were the Lancers trying to gnaw their way through the ice?

Weiss gave an annoyed huff and stalked over to her icy creation. She placed a hand over it, summoned a Glyph, and immediately they heard the telltale crystalline sound of shifting ice. Several sharp cracks rang out, and then the tunnels fell utterly silent. No more buzzing wings, no clicking or scraping sounds, just silence. The abrupt absence of sound made the hairs on the back of Yang's neck stand on end. She rolled her shoulders in an attempt to dislodge the uncomfortable sensation.

The silence stretched until Yang finally asked for all of them, "Icy...what did you do?"

The noble gave a nonchalant shrug and answered, "I have a natural affinity to ice—and no, that does not mean your ridiculous nicknames are justified." Yang smirked at that. "Anyway, as I was saying, as long as there's ice around, I can manipulate it to some extent even without Dust. Those—Lancers...you called them?—were getting annoying so I silenced them. Ice spears are devastatingly powerful at close range, after all."

Yang blinked. "...Remind me not to get on your bad side, Icy. You're kinda scary sometimes."

"Keep calling me that, and I can assure you that you're edging your way there as we speak," the noble retorted.

"Aww...but it suits you so well…"

"No, it does _not_."

Weiss might have said something else but by then, Ruby had bounced her way up to the noble, signing something excitedly and temporarily forgetting her nervousness around Kuromatsu in her enthusiastic gushing. Probably something about how amazing Weiss's Glyphs were. Even Yang had to admit they were pretty impressive.

Yang watched with amusement as Weiss tried to corral Ruby's excited energy to no avail. Finally, Yang took pity on the noble and walked over to lend a helping hand—in this case, a literal one. The older sister dropped a hand on her little sister's head, taking care not to crush her wolf ears, and the added weight caused Ruby to quit bouncing in place.

"I'll admit Icy here was pretty _cool_ ," —Yang grinned at Weiss's audible scoff— "but we've got a few other things to worry about right now, so save it for later, alright, Sis?"

At Ruby's nod, Yang gave her one last affectionate ruffle before bringing everyone's attention to the matter at hand. "So…," she started, "Lancers."

Kuromatsu gave a grunt of acknowledgement. "And if there are Lancers, there's bound to be a queen somewhere nearby."

"Lancers are...what, exactly?" Weiss asked.

"Giant hornet Grimm," Yang answered with a grimace. She turned to Kuromatsu, hoping he'd have more to offer. Luckily, he did.

"Nasty things, they are. They're the scourge of any ships sailing too close to shore in the southern provinces. Those stingers of theirs can pierce straight through the hull of any ship, and if several of them manage to hook a ship, they can easily tear it apart. Their heads and bodies are armored, and they've got strong, jagged pincers that are just as dangerous as their stingers. They're not the best fliers—it takes them time to turn and they can't make sudden stops—but they can hover and fly both vertically and horizontally. Makes them difficult to shoot down." Kuromatsu leaned his cudgel against his hip as he held up his hands to demonstrate. "You'll be aiming here," —he pointed his index finger at his closed fist— "and the blasted thing will drop mid-air" —his fist bobbed down and his index finger 'arrow' flew over it— "and you've just wasted an arrow."

"But they _can_ be shot down," Yang wanted to verify.

"If you're a good shot," Kuromatsu replied, "and only if you boost your arrows or bolts with Aura. Otherwise they just bounce right off that plated armor of theirs. Dust weapons and attacks are usually more effective." He motioned to Weiss. "Icy, here, might be our best bet against them, provided she's good at aiming those ice darts of hers."

"Except we need her to seal the breach first. Until that's done, we can't have her wasting her Aura willy-nilly." Yang glanced at Ruby. "We're just gonna have to rely on Ruby to keep the Lancers off of us until Icy finishes with the breach."

Ruby signed, _I can do it._

Yang grinned. "I know you can."

"You said something about a queen?" Weiss asked.

Kuromatsu gave her a grimace. "Lancers always have a Queen Lancer organizing their attacks. Queen Lancers are about three or four times the size of a regular Lancer, but unlike a regular Lancer, they can shoot off multiple bone-like darts at once. Plus, they're Dust-resistant and even more heavily armored."

"Do they have any weaknesses?" Yang asked.

The man shook his head. "The only time I saw one get taken down was when a ship with one of those fancy Dust cannons attached to its deck managed to blast a giant cannonball through it, and that was sheer luck more than anything else. Most of the time people only survive Lancer encounters because the queen doesn't always make an appearance, giving them time to either flee entirely or take out the regular Lancers. Take down enough Lancers in a swarm and the rest will give up the chase in order to survive and attack another day."

"So that's what we do if more Lancers show up," Weiss said, half thinking aloud. "We take them out as quickly as possible before a queen shows up so that they retreat." She glanced at their only bow-wielding member. "Ruby, that's your job. The moment you hear any Lancers approaching, let us know and then focus on dealing with them. I'll come and assist as soon as the breach is taken care of."

"And I'll distract the Creeps," Yang put in.

"Will you be alright on your own? I know you're at a disadvantage." Yang could hear the frown in Weiss's voice even though her face was hidden beneath her hood.

Yang rubbed the back of her neck, knowing the noble was right. They were in a _coal_ mine. That meant flammable things everywhere; heck, even the coal dust beneath their feet and dusting the tunnel walls could prove to be disastrous if Yang didn't keep her Semblance and inner fire in check. She'd managed thus far by not allowing herself to store any kinetic energy. If she got hit hard enough to start charging her Semblance, she immediately released that energy at the next Creep they came across. But if she started taking hits too rapidly for her to counterattack and release all that energy...She didn't even want to think of the consequences of accidentally igniting any stray coal lying about.

"Well," Yang responded at last, "you're just gonna have to hurry up and plug that hole, and come save my butt as soon as you can."

Weiss crossed her arms. "Perhaps Kuromatsu can…"

The man was already shaking his head. "You'll need me at the breach. I'll be able to keep any Grimm off of you long enough for you to seal the hole, but it'll take most of my remaining Aura."

"That's right," Yang said, suddenly remembering the man's Semblance. A thick wall of aggressive trees would definitely serve as a good blockade to keep the Creeps from trying to swarm Weiss. Suddenly, their mission seemed a bit more doable than before. It wasn't going to be easy, by any stretch of the means, but it wasn't impossible, even with their small party.

Yang clapped her hands together, half to get everyone's attention and half to get her blood pumping, and grinned at everyone. "We can do this."

Weiss scoffed. "Of course we can."

Ruby offered them all a thumbs up, and Yang saw the girl's cloak billow ever so slightly, letting her know that the girl's tail was wagging.

Yang shifted slightly to face her younger companions, ignoring Kuromatsu for a moment. Ruby would be fine—Grimm hunting was about the only time Yang saw her little sister completely at ease—but Weiss could sometimes overthink and worry more than she should. If they were going to pull this off, then they all had to be at their best. Second-guessing in the field would only get someone hurt, and it was her duty as the oldest to make sure that didn't happen. Sure, Kuromatsu was fighting with them, and she'd look out for him as best she could as well, but at the end of the day, her duty was—first and foremost—to her baby sister and Weiss. Therefore, she needed to make sure they were in tip-top shape, and what better way to do that than to make Weiss roll her eyes, which would consequently make Ruby smile?

"Alright. So, remember our rules?" Yang asked them brightly.

"Really, Yang?" Exasperation practically dripped from Weiss's voice. "Now?"

Yang's grin widened. Yep, that was the _exact_ tone Yang was hoping to hear from Weiss. If Weiss was feeling exasperated rather than stern or angry and rolling her eyes instead of scowling, the noble would be fine.

"Yes, now," she said easily. "You first, Icy."

Weiss gave a long, put upon sigh and just shook her head. Finally, she straightened and said, "Rule number one: Trust each other."

"Good. Ruby?"

Ruby signed, _Rule two: Trust your instincts._

"Yep." Yang reached out to ruffle Ruby's head affectionately. She decided to offer up brief explanation for Kuromatsu's sake. "Trust your instincts. Seriously, no heroics. If either of you sense something's wrong, let the rest of us know and get out of there. Icy?"

This time, Weiss answered a bit more seriously. "Rule three: Take care of your body." She glanced at their youngest and most reckless member, to which Yang silently applauded.

Ruby had the greatest tendency of getting hurt, not only because she was always on the front lines, but also because she usually put more Aura towards her Semblance than her defensive Aura. Why waste Aura defensively if you could dodge everything and avoid getting hit entirely, after all? But that also meant that when Ruby did get hit, she took more damage than either Yang or Weiss, and she always kept fighting in spite of her injuries. Yang and Uncle Qrow hadn't managed to curb that recklessness of hers yet, but maybe Weiss would be more successful.

"That means _you_ , Ruby," Weiss continued sternly. Then her voice softened ever so slightly. "Please. If you get hurt, let us know _right away_."

Ruby's shoulders shrank as she nodded timidly. Weiss kept her gaze on Ruby for a few moments longer, as though trying to gauge her sincerity, before finally looking away.

Yang could only hope that Ruby actually listened to Weiss this time around.

"Ruby?" Yang eventually continued. "How about rule four?"

 _Rule four: Take care of each other_ , Ruby signed solemnly.

"That's right. Watch each others' backs, and we'll all be fine. And the last rule is 'talk to each other.' In other words, communicate, even in the midst of battle. A single word of warning when you notice something can go a long way."

Yang glanced between the two young women before her and rocked back on her heels slightly, belatedly realizing that this was technically Weiss's first real Grimm hunt. Not that their other Grimm encounters up until now hadn't been serious, but this was the first one that had an actual mission, and if they failed that mission, people could get hurt or even die. And yet...somehow, Yang didn't feel particularly worried.

 _I trust her_ , Yang realized, rather shocked in spite of herself. _I'm not worried because I know Weiss'll do her best and that she's got our backs._

It was a revelation that Yang didn't have time to examine at the moment, but she knew she would, so she tucked it away where she could pull it out to mull over again later. Until then, they had a job to finish and a mine of Grimm to exterminate.

Some of her thoughts must have shown on her face for Ruby tugged on her sleeve to get her attention and tilted her head questioningly. _What's wrong_? she signed.

Yang quickly shot her a smile. "Nothing's wrong."

"Are you sure?" came a second inquiry. This time, from Weiss.

 _You're really losing your touch if Weiss, of all people, is managing to read you so easily_ , Yang thought to herself. _Or maybe it's more a sign of how much Weiss has changed recently._

"Yep."

Nothing was wrong, and that was the truth. Trusting Weiss was a good thing, after all...right? She might still be a little rough around the edges, but she had a good heart. So trusting her wasn't a mistake, and it wasn't something Yang should be worrying about. Probably. Hopefully.

Yang's gaze slid over to the young noble, who was currently returning Ruby's bow and quiver to her for the upcoming battle. The bow and quiver she had been carrying this entire time without a single word of complaint, (in fact, carrying it had been _her_ suggestion in the first place), all because she had been worried it would get in Ruby's way when she was fighting Grimm. The stuck-up noble they'd met in Patch would have likely never even considered doing such a thing. It would have been beneath her or something silly like that.

However, the Weiss standing before Yang right now _cared_ and had demonstrated that unexpected gentle heart of hers not just today, but over and over again, probably as far back as their visit to Treline. And today, the noble had been flitting her attention back and forth between the sisters every time either of them had been ambushed by Grimm, providing support whenever necessary. Yang was well aware that she'd been spared quite a few ouchies thanks to Weiss's defensive Glyphs, and she knew the noble had been doing the same for Ruby.

No, trusting Weiss wasn't a mistake. There was no "probably" or "hopefully" about it. It was a "definitely."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have a moment, please let me know what you think of the chapter? Or even the story as a whole thus far.
> 
> Also, thank you for reading! ^_^


	17. Author Update and Announcement

First off, I wanted to apologize that this isn’t a new chapter.  >_<

I’ve always thought to myself I’d never use one of these chapter posts to post a simple update because it can be so disappointing to see an update and realize it isn’t actually a new chapter to a story you want to read.  So I’m really, really sorry this isn’t new story content.

However, there’s been a long enough gap between now and the last chapter that I wanted to reassure you all that this story hasn’t been dropped.  

As some of you might know by checking out my tumblr (I’m hopeofmorning910 over there as well), life happened.  After the last chapter release, I got halfway through writing the next chapter and then had a really bad allergic reaction to something. It wasn’t life threatening, thankfully, but it was bad enough that I couldn’t write and I was out for almost six weeks just recovering.  I’m 100% fine now though, so don’t worry. :)

And then during the last couple weeks, I realized White Rose Week 2019 is coming up and on a whim, I glanced through the daily prompts.  About a day later, a story started to form in my head.  The next day after that, I started a new story outline, and since then I’ve been rushing to write at least the first chapter in time for White Rose Week.

So the first chapter of my new White Rose story will go up on June 10th if I manage to finish it in time.

After that, I’m not sure what I’ll do. I know for certain I won’t be able to get the next chapter of the new story out before White Rose Week ends, so I might go back and pick up where I left off with Simple Things, Honest Souls. Or if feedback is good for the new story, I might decide to focus on that for a while longer and give myself a longer breather for Simple Things (because I’ll admit I was starting to get frustrated with myself on it)—maybe spend that time outlining more of the story and finally really ironing out how Blake gets introduced. (*cues shocked gasp*—What? Blake’s actually going to show up?!)

But yeah, just wanted to let you all know that I’m alive and still writing.  I know I’ve said this before, but thank you all so much for being such a great audience. I’ve rarely gotten a negative comment regarding the story, and you’ve all been so great about the fact I’m a slow writer.  You’re all so patient and encouraging with me, and it means the world to me.  All of you are so awesome.  XD

Again, the first chapter of my new story will be up on June 10th, so check it out!  (And please leave comments so I know if you liked it, and whether I should bother continuing it or not!)


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